Mystery Surrounds Electrical Failures on Cargo Ship Dali, Linked to Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Baltimore, Maryland, USA United States of America
Baltimore Key Bridge collapse caused significant disruption to maritime traffic through the port, halting all traffic on Bay Bridge for approximately 15-30 minutes as Dali passed beneath.
Cargo ship Dali collided with Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024, causing it to collapse and killing six construction workers.
City sued Dali's owner and operator for negligence following crash. Deal reached in federal court allowing eight crew members to return to their home countries.
Dali, owned by Singaporean companies Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and Synergy Marine Group, left Baltimore under own power with crew of 22 and six salvage experts on board.
NTSB is testing terminal block and wiring in lab to determine if defects or abnormalities contributed to accident.
Two power outages occurred at the Port of Baltimore before the Dali's voyage. The NTSB suspects electrical component called a terminal block may be responsible for the failures.
Mystery Surrounds Electrical Failures on Cargo Ship Dali, Linked to Baltimore Bridge Collapse

The Dali, a massive cargo ship that lost power and collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26, 2024, causing it to collapse and killing six construction workers, left the Port of Baltimore for Norfolk, Virginia on June 24. The NTSB is investigating the cause of the electrical failures that led to the power outages and subsequent collision.

The Dali had experienced two power outages while at a berth at the Port of Baltimore before its voyage, which were attributed to mistakes during routine maintenance. However, when it approached the Key Bridge, two replacement breakers tripped, causing a second pair of power losses that investigators believe may be related to an electrical component called a terminal block.

The NTSB is currently testing the terminal block and wiring associated with it in a lab to determine if there were any defects or abnormalities that could have contributed to the accident. The investigation is expected to take a year from the incident date.

The Dali, which was owned and managed by Singaporean companies Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and Synergy Marine Group, left Baltimore under its own power with a full crew of 22 and six salvage experts on board. It is scheduled to go directly to Virginia International Gateway to have roughly 1,500 cargo containers off-loaded to reduce draft before traveling further.

Baltimore City has sued the Dali's owner and operator for negligence following the crash. The city raised concerns about losing the opportunity to question crew members once they left the country. However, a deal was reached in federal court that allowed eight crew members to return to their home countries with terms in place for future questioning.

The Baltimore Key Bridge collapse caused significant disruption to maritime traffic through the port and halted all traffic on the Bay Bridge for approximately 15-30 minutes as the Dali passed beneath on its way to Norfolk. The Maryland Transportation Authority is overseeing the voyage and providing a safety zone around the ship during its trip.



Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • Additional information about the condition and age of the terminal block could be relevant to understanding its potential role in the accident.
  • The article mentions mistakes during routine maintenance as a possible cause of the first two power outages, but it's not clear if these mistakes were directly related to the terminal block.

Sources

98%

  • Unique Points
    • The Dali lost power twice while at a berth at the Port of Baltimore before its doomed voyage and twice again as it approached the Key Bridge on March 26.
    • ,
  • Accuracy
    • The replacement breakers tripped when the Dali was about three ship lengths from the Key Bridge, causing two power losses.
    • Investigators are focusing on a small electrical component called a terminal block that may have caused an undervoltage release and tripped one of the breakers that failed during the voyage.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

  • Unique Points
    • The terminal block is 1 inch tall by 2.5 inches wide and costs about $8.
    • Investigators are focusing on a small electrical component called a terminal block that may have caused an undervoltage release and tripped one of the breakers that failed during the voyage.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

93%

  • Unique Points
    • The Dali cargo ship left Baltimore’s port on Monday, nearly three months after crashing into one of the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s supporting columns and causing it to collapse.
    • Six construction workers were killed in the crash.
  • Accuracy
    • The Dali cargo ship left Baltimore's port on Monday, nearly three months after crashing into one of the Francis Scott Key Bridge's supporting columns and causing it to collapse.
    • The Dali lost power and propulsion before leaving port on March 26, causing it to crash into the bridge.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy and a dichotomous depiction. The appeal to authority is found in the statement 'Investigations by the US Transport Safety Board showed...'. This statement implies that since it's an investigation by an authoritative body, their findings must be accurate without questioning their validity. The dichotomous depiction is seen in the phrase 'the ship saga of the Baltimore bridge crash', which presents only two options: either the ship is solely responsible for the crash or there's no other factor involved. This oversimplifies a complex situation and ignores potential contributing factors.
    • . . .Investigations by the US Transport Safety Board showed...
    • the ship saga of the Baltimore bridge crash
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

97%

  • Unique Points
    • The Dali is returning to its home countries after a deal was reached in federal court.
    • Baltimore City is suing the Dali’s owner and operator for negligence following a crash that killed six people.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

97%

  • Unique Points
    • Cargo ship Dali passed through water where Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge once stood on June 24, 2024
    • Dali cargo ship crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024, causing it to collapse and killing six construction workers
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication