New details revealed about deadly ship, Brooklyn Bridge collision
Videos captured the ensuing chaos as people on the shoreline and bridge span ran in terror, and Navy cadets dangled from the ship's crossbeams and sailcloth.
It remains unclear why the ship was moving backward at nearly 7 mph at the time of the crash. The preliminary report did not say whether there was in issue with the ship's engines or if the vessel had lost power, as officials have previously stated.
Federal investigators' full report, which will detail the likeliest cause of the crash, is ongoing and could take more than a year to complete.
Timeline: How a Mexican Navy ship crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge
Before 8 p.m. on May 17, a sea pilot and a local docking pilot spoke with the ship's captain, who told them "the propulsion and steering systems were in good order, and there were no deficiencies," according to the report.
After assessing the visibility and weather conditions on the East River, the ship pulled away from Pier 17 in lower Manhattan around 8:19 p.m. with the help of a tugboat, the Charles D. McAllister.
The docking pilot directed the ship to move backward - instructions that were acknowledged by the captain, translated into Spanish and relayed to crewmembers, the report said.
Once clear of the slip, the docking pilot gave a stop command and then a dead-slow-ahead order - directing the ship to move forward at the slowest speed possible. The pilot then directed the tugboat to reposition itself on the front right side of the ship.
After the tugboat detached from the vessel, the pilot "ordered additional commands in the ahead direction."
As the tugboat pushed on the vessel's front right side, the ship began to swing toward the Brooklyn Bridge, according to the preliminary report. At that point, the docking pilot ordered the tugboat to back away and maneuver toward the right rear side of the ship.
Around 8:24 p.m., the ship's backward speed increased from 3.7 mph to 5.8 mph and the harbor pilot called for nearby tugboat assistance. Moments later, the upper section of all three of the ship's masts collided with the span of the Brooklyn Bridge. At the time of impact, the ship was moving backward at 6.7 mph, according to the NTSB.
Where are investigators in their probe?
After the crash, the Cuauhtemoc was towed to a local shipyard for repairs and analysis. Investigators have boarded the ship for a preliminary examination and found scraped paint on the rear left side of the ship and a deformed rudder post.
The New York City Department of Transportation inspected the Brooklyn Bridge and determined there was no significant structural damage. It was reopened soon after the crash.
Federal investigators, meanwhile, have interviewed crewmembers on the ship as well as the two pilots and the tugboat crew. The preliminary report said the pilots and tugboat captain all passed drug and alcohol tests.
"The NTSB investigation of all aspects of the accident is ongoing; we are examining the propulsion system, operating control system, relevant crew experience and training, and operating policies and procedures," the agency said in a statement.
The estimated damage from the crash is expected to exceed $500,000, according to the report.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
a day ago
- NBC News
U.S. military's attempt to retain strategic land for training runs into Native Hawaiian opposition
HONOLULU — A high-altitude plateau on the Big Island is the only place in Hawaii where thousands of ground forces can practice firing live munitions. It's also a place many Native Hawaiians consider the spiritual heart of the island. The U.S. military wants to keep training at this spot, called Pohakuloa, so it's ready to quickly send troops to Asia and the Pacific. Its importance to the U.S. is only growing as China becomes more assertive, particularly regarding Taiwan. But the Army's lease for state lands beneath a key part of the training range expires in 2029. Native Hawaiians upset with the U.S. military's history of damaging Hawaiian lands with target practice and fuel leaks want the Army out. "They have bombed and contaminated not just our land but our waters," said Healani Sonoda-Pale, a community organizer with the Hawaiian sovereignty group Ka Lahui Hawaii. "When does this end?" A problematic history The military controls about 5% of Hawaii's land, including bases for all branches. It has programs and staff to protect endangered and threatened species, prevent fires, and plant native plants. But past incidents have made many Native Hawaiians skeptical. The Navy turned the island of Kahoolawe, off Maui, into a bombing range after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. The Navy returned it in 1994 after years of protests. But subsequent cleanup efforts have been incomplete. Live grenades and bombs remain scattered across a quarter of the island. Memories are still fresh from when the Navy spilled jet fuel into Pearl Harbor's drinking water from a network of underground fuel storage tanks and pipes in 2021. The leak prompted 6,000 people to seek medical care for rashes, nausea and other ailments and contaminated a Honolulu aquifer. The disaster occurred after admirals spent years dismissing community calls to move the tanks. On Tuesday, Honolulu's water utility sued the Navy seeking to recoup an estimated $1.2 billion that it has had to spend because of the spill. Also on Oahu, environmental advocates say Army live-fire training in Makua Valley sparked wildfires and destroyed native forestland and sacred cultural sites. A legal settlement stopped such training in 2004. The cultural significance of Pohakuloa Pohakuloa consists of rocky plains, hills and brush about 6,200 feet (1,900 meters) above sea level between the Big Island's tallest volcanoes, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. It hosts endangered species including the Hawaiian catchfly shrub. Early Hawaiians ventured across the plateau to reach a Mauna Kea quarry that produced high-quality basalt for stone tools and to travel between coastal towns. In 2022, Army staff discovered ancient wooden "kii," or figures, in a lava tube, an underground passageway created by molten rock. Consultants said the figures are from human burials, and state preservationists say they're among Hawaii's most significant archaeological finds. Pohakuloa Training Area spans more than 200 square miles (518 square kilometers). The section in question is only 17% of that total, but it's critically located in between two larger federal parcels. Troops fire munitions from the state-owned parcel onto federal lands. The land's importance for training and deterrence Other live-fire training areas in Hawaii are too small to accommodate battalions and brigades. Commanders say it would take too long to send troops, trucks and helicopters to the U.S. mainland for drills. "What we anticipate in a future fight is that we will not have the time to recover that equipment and to position ourselves back into the region," said Maj. Gen. James Bartholomees, U.S. Army Pacific chief of staff. Pohakuloa training, he said, allows troops to "move from Hawaii into the Indo-Pacific, into key terrain, to be prepared to meet our adversaries, or more importantly, to deter them." The Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force exercise there, as do allied and partner militaries. The Hawaii National Guard accounts for one-quarter of Pohakuloa's training. County fire and police departments use it too. Negotiations to exchange land The Army prepared an environmental impact statement, including public feedback, that analyzed how the military's continued use of the land would affect plants, animals and cultural heritage. On May 9, the state land board rejected it after hearing hours of often emotional testimony in opposition. Among other issues, the board cited inadequate inventory of unexploded ordnance and insufficient inventory of ancient burials and associated artifacts. The Army is considering whether to appeal. It could also negotiate a land exchange with the state instead. Such talks can't begin until the Army finalizes its environmental study with a decision about its plans. The defense secretary's office then must sign off on acquiring land. Alice Roberts, U.S. Army Pacific's program manager for training land retention, said the service has had some informal conversations, including trying to understand the state's swap criteria. Buying the land would be a "a big hurdle," for the Army, she said, because two-thirds of the state House and Senate would need to approve such a transaction. U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, a Democrat, said the Army must double down on being good stewards and make up for the military's past mistakes. Tokuda wants the military to help increase Hawaii's housing supply, given that service members occupy 14% of Oahu's housing stock and that high housing costs are driving residents out. She said it could bolster Hawaii's water and sewer infrastructure. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green suggested in an interview with Hawaii News Now that the military could take the land through eminent domain, but Tokuda said she hasn't heard anyone in the military or President Donald Trump's administration mention that. A call for a cleanup Kaialiʻi Kahele, the chairperson of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which advocates for Native Hawaiians, wants to see what federal lands the Army would offer. He wants to know whether it would be willing to reduce the impact of its training, and what sort of clean up and community benefits it would provide. "We have to get to a point where you do training and then you clean up your mess," said Kahele, a former congressman who served more than 20 years in the Hawaii Air National Guard and is now in the Air Force Reserve.
Press and Journal
2 days ago
- Press and Journal
RGU graduate who started uni at 16 begins career in law
Going to university is a big step towards adulthood, especially if you're also moving out of the family home. But while some of us (me) found it hard to make the move at 18, Katie Thomson already had two years under her belt by the time she was that age. The former Mintlaw Academy pupil had a clear plan in her mind from third year, knew what she needed to do, and went for it. And this week, at just 21, she graduated from Robert Gordon University and will now embark upon a career as a solicitor. Lockdown solved the problem of being two years too young to go to the pub with her new uni friends. But how was it moving into a flatshare and starting university at the tender age of 16? With Covid affecting her school years too, Katie nonetheless got five Highers in fifth year – English, maths, history, French and Spanish. After that, she went to university, skipping sixth year, which is not unusual in itself. But because she was young for her year, with a December birthday, she started aged just 16. Katie explained: 'I went into a flat when I was 16. 'I think I was quite a grown-up 16. It was a little bit scary, but not too bad. 'I don't think my parents were too worried – they knew I was only an hour away if anything happened.' And although the social side of things might have potentially been tricky – although not everything at uni revolves around the pub – Covid took care of that. Katie said: 'Because of Covid, no-one was really able to go out anyway, so I didn't really miss out on Freshers Week stuff. 'We got lectures to watch at home and then for the first semester, I was just in for one day every two weeks. 'I would say it was hard to try and get help with things and meet new people.' So in a way it was lucky for Katie that second year became the new first year socially. Lockdown eased then, pretty much when she turned 18. She added: 'Everyone met each other in second year.' Katie, the oldest of seven children, got a 2:1 Honours degree in law last year. And now, she has graduated with her Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. She attended the ceremony with her mum Lisa, dad Peter, step-parents and fiance Logan. Never one to waste time, she started a new job as a paralegal the day after she finished her diploma. And she has a little bit of advice for those planning their next steps. She said: 'I think it's different for me, because I was lucky enough to know what I wanted to do. 'If you know early what you want to so, then just go for it.'
Spectator
3 days ago
- Spectator
Dear Mary: How can I get enough champagne at a party?
Q. I had the same Spanish housekeeper for 25 years and was devoted to her, and she to me. She was loyal, reliable, fastidious and an excellent cook. She died three years ago and I mourn her every day. I have often wondered how you would have dealt with the one aspect of our relationship which was unsatisfactory. Each morning she arrived at 8 a.m. and went straight into the flat's guest lavatory, where she evacuated. The smell somehow permeated the whole flat for some time. I always wanted to suggest that she arrive at 8.10, having gone at home first, but couldn't think of a way to say so without hurting her feelings. How would you have tackled this, Mary? – Name and address withheld A. Bear in mind that access to the 'safe space' of your lavatory may have been an important driver of her devotion to you. It could have been key to her ability to retain dignity within her marriage. If she lived alone, perhaps you might have given her a weekly present of expensive prunes saying: 'These are delicious, and I find them such a help in getting me to go to the loo in the morning before going anywhere.' Q. Someone gave me a box of chocolates which I opened in a flourish after dinner. They had clearly been mouldering in her cupboard for ages, because they had melted and gone into one congealed lump. The giver was very embarrassed and so were some of our other guests. I made the lame remark that we were all delighted as it would mean we wouldn't be tempted, but I wonder what the etiquette is should this ever happen again? – I.S., Aix-en-Provence A. It is bound to happen again. Now that scented candles are over, chocolates have become the present-cupboard standby, and mouldering is a clear risk, especially with high-quality brands with fewer preservatives. The first rule of hospitality is that no guest should ever be made to feel uncomfortable. For this reason proper grandees have trained themselves to burst into heartfelt laughter when disasters occur. Train yourself to do the same when the next box of melted chocolates is unveiled. To witness such a wonderfully Olympian reaction boosts the morale of guests and offender. Q. It sounds incredibly spoilt but I like only champagne. If I bring a bottle to a house party, it gets opened and shared immediately, and I get at most one glass. I can't go for eight hours with just one glass. Advice please? – W.F., London W11 A. Pret sells a chic reusable aluminium bottle bearing the legend 'Still Water'. Fill two with champagne and take them to the party in your handbag.
