Opening Remarks on the Investigation into the Contact of Containership Dali with Francis Scott Key Bridge and Subsequent Bridge Collapse, March 26, 2024, Baltimore MD

​​​​​​Remarks as prepared for delivery.

​Good morning and welcome to the National Transportation Safety Board.

I’m Jennifer Homendy and I’m honored to serve as Chairwoman of the NTSB.

With me today are my Board colleagues: Member Michael Graham and Member Tom Chapman. Member Todd Inman is unable to join us today; he is on prearranged travel but has provided his proxy. 

Today’s meeting is open to the public, in accordance with the Government in the Sunshine Act.

On March 26, 2024, about 1:29 a.m. Eastern DaylightTime, the containership Dali was transiting out of Baltimore Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland, when it experienced losses of electrical power, propulsion, and steering and struck Pier 17, the southern pier that supported the central span of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

A substantial portion of the bridge subsequently collapsed into the river and portions of the pier, deck, and truss spans collapsed onto the vessel’s bow and forwardmost container bays.

Tragically, six workers who were on the bridge died as a result of the collapse. A seventh worker survived but suffered serious injuries; an inspector escaped without physical injuries. One of the 23 crewmembers aboard the Dali sustained minor injuries.

On behalf of the entire agency, I want to extend my deepest sympathies to the families and friends who lost loved ones in this truly heartbreaking tragedy, as well as the survivors who were injured.​

​I was the Board Member on scene for this accident. I met with the families. I boarded the Dali several times and saw the devastation up close. I can only imagine what the families and survivors have gone through over the last 20-or-so months.

I also imagine this has been difficult for those who witnessed the devastation: the senior pilot who called for help as the vessel approached the bridge; the pilot dispatcher who notified the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA); the MDTA police who were on the bridge at the time and who — within seconds — closed the bridge to traffic, saving countless lives; and the crew onboard the Dali, many of whom are still in the United States.

For those in the room, Elias Kontanis from our Transportation Disaster Assistance Division is here, and will be here throughout the Board meeting, to provide support to anyone who may need it.

The fact is, we shouldn’t be here today; this tragedy should’ve never occurred … lives should’ve never been lost. As with all accidents we investigate, this was preventable.

Throughout this meeting, you’ll hear exactly how.

I don’t want to get ahead of the staff presentations, so I won’t go into the details. What I will do is express our deep appreciation — first to those who responded to or assisted with the response to this accident, including:

  • ​The American Red Cross; 
  • Baltimore City;
  • Baltimore County;
  • The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency;
  • The Environmental Protection Agency; 
  • The Federal Bureau of Investigation; 
  • The Maryland Air National Guard; 
  • The Maryland Department of Emergency Management; 
  • The Maryland Department of the Environment;
  • The Maryland Department of Transportation; 
  • The Maryland Natural Resources Police; 
  • The Maryland Port Administration; 
  • The Maryland State Police; 
  • The Maryland Transportation Authority;
  • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; 
  • The U.S. Coast Guard, including the Atlantic Strike Team and the Salvage Engineering Response Team; 
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection; 
  • The U.S. Department of Transportation, including the Federal Highway Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration;
  • The U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving; 
  • Witt O’Brien’s, who was Synergy’s emergency response company; and
  • The salvors Resolve Marine and Don Jon Marine.

I also want to thank our colleagues in the Office of Marine Safety, the Office of Highway Safety, and the Office of Research and Engineering for their meticulous work. This was a complex multi-modal investigation … extremely complex … with tremendous challenges.

Finally, I want to thank staff throughout the entire agency for their hard work and dedication to our mission, especially during the government shutdown. Know this: every single one of you is essential to our safety mission. We couldn’t do what we do without each of you. I hope you know that you are highly valued — by this agency and by all the Board Members.

Let’s now turn to today’s meeting. Our Deputy Managing Director for Investigations, Brian Curtis, will introduce the NTSB team participating in today’s meeting and then we’ll go into staff presentations.

Once staff presentations are done, the Board will ask questions focused on safety issues we want to highlight stemming from this investigation.

Then, we’ll consider a set of findings, the probable cause or causes, and recommendations aimed at improving safety and preventing a similar tragedy from occurring.

Good morning, Mr. Curtis.


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