Probe of crash of Mexican tall ship into Brooklyn Bridge centers on engine | ABS-CBN

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Probe of crash of Mexican tall ship into Brooklyn Bridge centers on engine

Reuters

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Probe of crash of Mexican tall ship into Brooklyn Bridge centers on engine
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The investigation into why a Mexican Navy training ship struck the Brooklyn Bridge this weekend, shearing the top of its masts, will focus on possible engine failure and the role of a tugboat that assisted it in backing out of its pier, officials said on Monday (May 19).

The ship's engine was the key focus for the National Transportation Safety Board, said Brian Young, who is leading the agency's investigation.

"We will look at the status of the engine, we will look for any failures, we will look for engine inspections and we'll take to the crew on what may have possibly happened with the engine," Young said at a preliminary NTSB briefing. He said investigators would also look for any electronic control data.

The accident occurred when the majestic white training vessel Cuauhtémoc was departing from lower Manhattan's Pier 17 on the East River shortly after sunset on Saturday.

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The ship's planned route was southward, away from the Brooklyn Bridge and toward the New York Harbor and her next destination in Iceland.

As it backed out of the pier, she was accompanied by a tug boat operated by McAllister Towing. As it cleared the dock, the ship pivoted but its bow continued to move swiftly in the direction of the bridge.

Minutes later, its three, 147-foot masts hit the underside of the bridge, causing them to partially collapse.

The strike knocked dozens of white-uniformed naval cadets off the ship's crossbeams where they were standing ceremoniously for her exit from the harbor. They could be seen dangling from their harnesses high above the ship's deck.

Two people aboard the ship - a cadet and a sailor - were killed, and 22 were injured, two of them critically.

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Videos posted online showed the tug first pushing the bow of the ship, then separating from it as the vessel moved closer to the bridge. It then appeared to rush towards the stern as if it intended to stop the ship from striking the bridge.

After the masts collapsed, the ship kept sailing under the bridge until she was stopped at an embankment on the Brooklyn side of the river, videos showed.

NTSB board member Michael Graham said the board had not yet conducted any interviews and intended to talk with the tugboat pilot, harbor pilot, ship captain and other crew members.

“We will be looking into three main areas we're on scene... the crew and the operation of the crew, the vessel and the condition of the vessel, and finally, the environment, and that includes the weather, the wind, the current, the tide and the operating environment,” Graham said.

Investigators are also asking the public for additional video of the incident and have yet to determine if the Mexican naval vessel had a data recorder.

(Production: Aleksandra Michalska, Roselle Chen)

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