New transcripts show moments before deadly Baltimore bridge collapse

Transcripts from the National Transportation Safety Board are offering a new glimpse inside

the Dolly cargo ship's pilots' reaction moments before it crashed into the Francis Scott Key

Bridge in Baltimore last year, as well as what happened in the day leading up to the ship losing

power. The crash caused the bridge to collapse in March of 2024, killing six construction workers

on the bridge. New transcripts reveal what happened in the hours prior to the tragedy

and moments before and after the ship struck a support pillar. Here's what we now know

The afternoon before the ship departed the bay, an electronics technician and the ship's second-in-command

became aware of alarms triggered by an unspecified condition. Hours later, the head of the ship's operations ordered a full report on the alarms

with specific directions to provide all information possible on the problem. Despite the alarm triggers

the ship began its departure from the bay around midnight on March 26, 2024

Normal procedures were underway as a pilot and a pilot in training coordinated tugboats prior to

launch. The pilot told the trainee he would allow him to take over operations once the ship hit the

mainstream and called off the forward tugboat at 107 a.m. A casual discussion continues until 1

24 a.m. when multiple alarm sound and power is subsequently lost. Over the next four minutes

leading up to the crash, orders are shouted and warnings are sent out to shut down the key bridge

After steering capability is lost and efforts to deploy an anchor fail, the ship crashes into the

bridge At 1 a the bridge can be heard on recording crashing into the water A person believed to be the training pilot shouts the key bridge is down Moments later the pilot asks what did we do wrong Sal Mercogliano a maritime expert who hosts What Going On With Shipping on YouTube

says actions the pilots took prior to the crash were not misguided after reviewing the transcripts

The reaction from the crew seemed to have been exactly what you want, at least on the bridge side

Captain initiated plans to drop the anchor. There were issues with dropping the anchor

Even if you drop that anchor, it made no difference in the world. You are not going to slow turn that ship

I don't think that anchor would have had any effect. A hundred thousand ton vessel at eight knots

It's not going to do anything. He also notes proper procedure was followed to alert those operating the bridge of the emergency

The pilots fortunately got on the radio, on the phone, alerted the bridge crews, stopped traffic on it

unfortunately couldn't save the six men who died on the bridge and one other who went in the water

but was saved. While tragedy struck, Mercogliano believes the incident could have proved much more

deadly. But fortunately, they stopped all other traffic on the bridge. This didn't happen during

daylight when it would be even more crowded on the bridge. He also says once the ship's engine

went out, all hope was lost for avoiding the bridge. They had literally almost no control

the ship was completely under inertia. There was not much that they can do once that power went out

An investigation into the crash and collapse is still underway and ongoing lawsuits continue to

play out in the courts. Questions still remain about how much the ship's owners knew about the

working condition of the Dolly and how much information they relayed to the pilots

For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kaylee Carey. Find more fact-based news right now by downloading

the Straight Arrow News mobile app or head to san.com