Brooklyn Bridge undamaged after fatal crash with Mexican tall ship, NTSB says
No structural damage was done to the Brooklyn Bridge, the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday, after a Mexican navy tall ship crashed into it, killing two sailors and injuring 17 others, after the ship lost power, left port and got trapped in an East River current.
The ARM Cuauhtémoc, a training tall ship with 277 sailors on board, had finished its five-day docking at Pier 17 at 8 p.m. Saturday as part of a goodwill tour co-hosted by the South Street Seaport Museum, according to the museum's website.
"Nothing structural" on the bridge is damaged, said Michael Graham, a member of the NTSB, which sent a team to investigate the event.
"We are here to gather perishable evidence," Graham said.
Investigator Brian Young said the NTSB will be looking at possible engine failure and talking to the crew as well as people who may have witnessed the crash.
The report by the NTSB as to the cause of the crash will take between 12 and 24 months and the group will be looking into the areas of crew, vessel, and the environment.
[email protected] is the email for someone to tell NTSB they have bystander video. The email will be responded to with a link to upload video.
Video taken at the scene shows the Cuauhtémoc's masts snapping from the impact as a large Mexican flag waves from a pole on the ship's stern.
"The ship was moving down toward Bay Ridge, where it was going to anchor and refuel," said New York City Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol on Sunday.
"It reportedly lost power, lost steerage, then because of the current ended up under the Brooklyn Bridge."
Two sailors were hospitalized in critical condition, according to the NYPD.
On Sunday, several crew members had climbed the masts to repair the rigging as authorities examined the ship's deck.
The Brooklyn Bridge, which opened in 1883, has a nearly 1,600-foot (490-meter) main span supported by two masonry towers. More than 100,000 vehicles and an estimated 32,000 pedestrians cross every day, according to the city’s transportation department. Its walkway is a major tourist attraction.
Traffic was halted after the collision but was allowed to resume after an inspection, city officials said.
No structural damage was done to the Brooklyn Bridge, the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday, after a Mexican navy tall ship crashed into it, killing two sailors and injuring 17 others, after the ship lost power, left port and got trapped in an East River current.
The ARM Cuauhtémoc, a training tall ship with 277 sailors on board, had finished its five-day docking at Pier 17 at 8 p.m. Saturday as part of a goodwill tour co-hosted by the South Street Seaport Museum, according to the museum's website.
"Nothing structural" on the bridge is damaged, said Michael Graham, a member of the NTSB, which sent a team to investigate the event.
"We are here to gather perishable evidence," Graham said.
Investigator Brian Young said the NTSB will be looking at possible engine failure and talking to the crew as well as people who may have witnessed the crash.
The report by the NTSB as to the cause of the crash will take between 12 and 24 months and the group will be looking into the areas of crew, vessel, and the environment.
[email protected] is the email for someone to tell NTSB they have bystander video. The email will be responded to with a link to upload video.
Video taken at the scene shows the Cuauhtémoc's masts snapping from the impact as a large Mexican flag waves from a pole on the ship's stern.
"The ship was moving down toward Bay Ridge, where it was going to anchor and refuel," said New York City Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol on Sunday.
"It reportedly lost power, lost steerage, then because of the current ended up under the Brooklyn Bridge."
Two sailors were hospitalized in critical condition, according to the NYPD.
On Sunday, several crew members had climbed the masts to repair the rigging as authorities examined the ship's deck.
The Brooklyn Bridge, which opened in 1883, has a nearly 1,600-foot (490-meter) main span supported by two masonry towers. More than 100,000 vehicles and an estimated 32,000 pedestrians cross every day, according to the city’s transportation department. Its walkway is a major tourist attraction.
Traffic was halted after the collision but was allowed to resume after an inspection, city officials said.
