Cargo Ship Dali's Unexpected Collision with Francis Scott Key Bridge: Two Power Blackouts Before the Impact

Baltimore, Maryland United States of America
Another blackout occurred close to 1:28 a.m., moments before collision.
Cargo ship Dali collided with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26, 2024.
Francis Scott Key Bridge sustained severe damage and repairs are expected to take four years.
NTSB is investigating the cause of the blackouts, which may have contributed to the collision.
Two power blackouts occurred on March 25 while the ship was docked, causing both generators to stop working.
Cargo Ship Dali's Unexpected Collision with Francis Scott Key Bridge: Two Power Blackouts Before the Impact

On March 26, 2024, the cargo ship Dali collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The incident resulted in significant damage to both the bridge and the vessel. According to reports from various sources, including CNN, CBS News, and ABC News, there were several power blackouts experienced by the Dali before its collision with the bridge.

The first set of blackouts occurred on March 25 while the ship was docked at Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore Harbor. A crew member mistakenly closed an inline engine exhaust damper for one of the vessel's diesel generators, causing it to stall and both generators to stop working. Insufficient fuel pressure caused a second generator's speed to decrease and its breaker to open, resulting in another blackout.

Despite these issues, the Dali left the port in the early hours of March 26. However, two more power blackouts occurred close to 1:28 a.m., moments before colliding with the bridge.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently investigating the incident and has released preliminary reports detailing these findings. The cause of the blackouts remains under investigation, but it is believed that they may have contributed to the collision.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, a critical infrastructure component in Baltimore, was severely damaged during the incident. It is expected to take four years for repairs and reconstruction to be completed. The bridge's collapse disrupted traffic on I-695 and caused significant delays for commuters.

The Dali, a Singapore-based cargo vessel, had been in port for over eight months before the collision. The incident raises concerns about the importance of regular maintenance and inspections to prevent such incidents from occurring.


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Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • It is not clear if the blackouts directly caused the collision.
  • The cause of the power blackouts remains under investigation.

Sources

93%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

NTSB officials testify before Congress, share new information on Key Bridge collapse

WBAL-TV News Station Baltimore MD USA Tolly Taylor Wednesday, 15 May 2024 22:17
  • Unique Points
    • The Dali had been on board for over eight months.
    • The Key Bridge is expected to take four years to rebuild and may not be completed before 2028.
  • Accuracy
    • The Dali suffered catastrophic electrical failures, causing several pumps required for the ship’s propeller and rudder to stop working.
    • The goal is to have a final investigative report ready within a year and a half after the crash, but urgent safety recommendations may be issued sooner.
    • Only a generator six stories tall could have restored the Dali cargo ship’s propulsion when it lost power.
    • Engineers on U.S. ships are typically only allowed to remain aboard for 2-3 months at a time, but engineers on the Dali had been on board for over eight months.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains a few instances of inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority, but overall provides mostly accurate information. There are no clear examples of formal or informal fallacies.
    • Members of Congress spent more than three hours asking officials questions about the investigation and plans for rebuilding the bridge.
  • 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

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Cargo ship outages on the day before the Baltimore bridge collision may have impacted ship’s operations, NTSB chief says

CNN News Site: In-Depth Reporting and Analysis with Some Financial Conflicts and Sensational Language Gregory Wallace, Wednesday, 15 May 2024 14:00
  • Unique Points
    • The cargo ship Dali experienced two blackouts while moored in the Port of Baltimore a day before its collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
    • ,
  • Accuracy
    • The Dali experienced two blackouts while moored in the Port of Baltimore a day before its collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
    • NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy suggested that efforts to resolve those blackouts may have impacted the ship's operations when it left the port.
    • The Dali suffered catastrophic electrical failures, causing several pumps required for the ship's propeller and rudder to stop working.
    • The emergency generator activated but was not configured to power the ship.
  • 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%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Dali experienced four blackouts before crashing into Baltimore Key Bridge, NTSB report shows

CBS News Site: https://www.cbsnews.com/articles/about-us/ Adam Thompson Thursday, 16 May 2024 01:46
  • Unique Points
    • The Dali, a cargo vessel, experienced four blackouts and crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
    • The first blackout occurred during in-port maintenance on March 25.
    • A second blackout happened after the ship departed from the Port of Baltimore.
    • The third and fourth blackouts occurred while the ship was en route to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  • Accuracy
    • The Dali experienced four blackouts.
    • Two tugboats assisted the Dali during its departure from the Port of Baltimore.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains some instances of inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority, but no formal or blatant logical fallacies were found. The author uses phrases like 'disaster', 'crippled the Port of Baltimore', and 'cut access to the Beltway' to create a sense of urgency and importance, which can be considered inflammatory rhetoric. The author also mentions that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a preliminary report on the crash, implying that their findings are authoritative and trustworthy.
    • ]The disaster killed six construction workers, crippled the Port of Baltimore and cut access to the Beltway.[
    • The NTSB identified 14 containers...which may have been damaged when the ship struck the Key Bridge or during the subsequent collapse of the bridge deck onto the ship.
    • Adam Thompson was raised in Ohio, but made stops in Virginia and North Carolina before landing in Maryland.
  • 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

96%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Ship that struck Baltimore bridge had blackouts day before crash, NTSB report finds

ABC Philadelphia News Station Tuesday, 14 May 2024 22:15
  • Unique Points
    • The M/V Dali experienced two power blackouts while docked at the Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore Harbor on March 25.
    • A crew member mistakenly closed an inline engine exhaust damper for one of the vessel’s diesel generators, causing the engine to stall and diesel generators to stop working.
    • Insufficient fuel pressure caused a second generator to lose power and its breaker opened, resulting in another blackout.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (80%)
    The article reports on a ship that experienced power blackouts before and during its collision with a bridge. While the article does mention the NTSB's findings, it also includes editorializing and sensationalism in the form of phrases like 'toppled part of a bridge span' and 'caused part of a bridge span to collapse'. These phrases are not necessary for reporting the facts and could be seen as attempting to manipulate emotions. Additionally, there is selective reporting in that only details that support the author's position (the power blackouts) are reported, while other important details (such as the fact that six men were killed) are mentioned but not given equal emphasis.
    • The Dali slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge over Baltimore Harbor at 1:28 a.m. ET on March 26, causing part of a bridge span to collapse during the early morning hours of March 26.
    • The shipping vessel that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March experienced two power blackouts while docked, 10 hours before the collision that toppled part of a bridge span, according to a preliminary report released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
  • 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

89%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Ship that struck Francis Scott Key Bridge had blackouts 10 hours before crash, NTSB report finds

ABC NEWS SITE NAMES Name: ABC News Site Names URL: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-officially-blames-iran_106834435 ABC News Thursday, 16 May 2024 01:48
  • Unique Points
    • The container ship Dali experienced two power blackouts while undergoing maintenance at the Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore Harbor on March 25.
    • A crew member mistakenly closed an inline engine exhaust damper for one of the vessel’s diesel generators, causing it to stall and both generators to stop working.
    • Insufficient fuel pressure caused the second generator’s speed to decrease and its breaker to open, resulting in another blackout.
    • The Dali left the port in the early-morning hours of March 26 but experienced two more blackouts close to 1:28 a.m., moments before colliding with the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (50%)
    The article reports on a shipping vessel named M/V Dali that experienced power blackouts while docked at the Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore Harbor. The NTSB report states that these blackouts were caused by a crew member mistakenly closing an inline engine exhaust damper for one of the vessel's diesel generators, which blocked the engine's exhaust gases from exiting and caused both generators to stop working. However, later in the article it is mentioned that 'insufficient fuel pressure caused [the second generator’s] speed to decrease, and its breaker ... opened,' implying a different cause for the second blackout. This inconsistency between the causes of the two blackouts could be considered selective reporting or misinformation.
    • However, a second blackout occurred minutes later when insufficient fuel pressure caused [the second generator’s] speed to decrease, and its breaker ... opened.
    • The container ship M/V Dali experienced two blackouts on March 25 while undergoing maintenance at the Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore Harbor, according to a preliminary report released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
    • The NTSB is still investigating the electrical configuration following the first in-port blackout and potential impacts on the events during the accident voyage.
  • 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