Posted on 03/28/24
| News Source: Pikesville Patch
Baltimore, MD - Mar. 28, 2024 - Over the course of four minutes, alarms sounded as a ship lost power and scrambled to avoid striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The 984-foot cargo ship called for help, but it was too late. The ensuing bridge collapse killed six construction workers — two bodies have been found and four are presumed dead.
Here is the timeline of what happened in the early hours of Tuesday, March 26, according to officials with the National Transportation Safety Board:
12:39 a.m. — The ship, named Dali, departs the Seagirt Marine Terminal.
1:07 — Dali enters Fort McHenry Channel.
1:24 — The ship moves trough the channel at 8 knots, or 9 mph.
1:24:59 —Numerous alarms sound, as recorded on the ship's bridge audio. Dali's voyage data stops recording, but the audio communications continue recording because of a second power supply.
1:26:02 — The ship's data resumes recording. Steering commands and rudder orders can be heard on the audio during the lapse in data recording.
1:26:39 — The ship's pilot requests the assistance of tugboats nearby over the VHF, or Very High Frequency, radio. The Association of Maryland Pilots dispatcher phones the Maryland Transportation Authority around this time to alert the MDTA duty officer of the blackout.
1:27:04 — The pilot orders the crew to drop its port (left) anchor and gave additional steering commands.
1:27:25 — The pilot reports via VHF that Dali has lost all power approaching the Key Bridge in the Patapsco River. MDTA data from around this time shows that the duty officer notifies two police units via radio, one already stationed on each side of the bridge. The MDTA Police duty officer orders those units to close Interstate 695 approaching the crossing. Officers successfully shut down all lanes onto the bridge.
1:29:00 — The ship's speed is recorded at just under 7 knots or 8 mph.
1:29:33 a.m. — For about 33 seconds, the ship's audio records sounds consistent with the Key Bridge collapsing. Investigators said they need more data to determine the exact second Dali struck the Key Bridge.
1:29:39 — The pilot reports that the Key Bridge had collapsed in a VHF radio call to the U.S. Coast Guard.