On May 1, 2025, about 1454, the towing vessel Rickey Hughes was pushing 22 barges downbound on the Lower Mississippi River at mile 435.8 near Vicksburg, Mississippi, when the two lead barges on the starboard side of the tow contacted a fixed pier of the Vicksburg Highway 80 Bridge. As a result of the contact, seven barges broke away, six were recovered, and one sank. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. Damage to the barges was estimated at $1.9 million.
We determined that the probable cause of the contact of the towing vessel Rickey Hughes’ lead barge with the Vicksburg Highway 80 Bridge was a loss of all steering (steering and flanking rudders) due to a crewmember’s misalignment of flanking rudder system hydraulic valves as he responded to a low pressure alarm and attempted to restore flanking rudder operation while the tow was approaching the bridge.
Vessel Steering System Changeovers During Emergency Situations
The loss of steering while transiting in channels or maneuvering near immediate hazards (grounding, traffic, objects), when response time is critical, demands crewmembers act quickly to mitigate potential casualties. Vessel steering systems are often designed with automatic backup systems to avoid a loss of steering and therefore, vessel maneuverability during such an emergency. However, some steering systems may require crewmembers to manually change over to standby equipment for steering to be restored. Crewmembers should be familiar with, and trained to use, these systems and their redundancies, including changeover procedures, to ensure they are able to effectively respond in emergency situations.
