Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

**gravitylover** · 03-26-2024, 02:50 AM

Holy shit! You can see vehicles on the bridge as it collapses into the Patapsco River

**Kenny Satch** · 03-26-2024, 03:03 AM

My Lord.
That was disturbing.

SB · 03-26-2024, 03:43 AM

Getting daylight in a while.

**cat in january** · 03-26-2024, 04:36 AM

That’s a question I have. I assume there was a pilot on board in those waters. In Portland, Maine we had a tanker, the Julie N, hit a bridge because the pilot said turn to starboard when he intended port. The helmsman followed the directions as he should and the tanker hit the bridge resulting in a large oil spill.

Terrible tragedy unfolding. Likely reached the total number of survivors at this point.

**gravitylover** · 03-26-2024, 05:00 AM

Sonar shows vehicles on the river bottom

SB · 03-26-2024, 05:02 AM

2 survivors rescued so far.

**gravitylover** · 03-26-2024, 05:13 AM

45° water, there likely won't be more.

SB · 03-26-2024, 05:48 AM

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SB · 03-26-2024, 05:49 AM

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SB · 03-26-2024, 05:50 AM

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**JimmyCarter** · 03-26-2024, 06:05 AM

That went down so fast…

https://x.com/doyle0213/status/1772550665526517790?s=20

**Vt-Freeheel** · 03-26-2024, 06:27 AM

Where's that confounded bridge?

Just heard something about the ship losing power

**Harry** · 03-26-2024, 06:42 AM

Originally Posted by Vt-Freeheel

Just heard something about the ship losing power

Yeah, if you look at the videos, the ship lost electrical power at least twice prior to hitting the bridge.

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**Self Jupiter** · 03-26-2024, 06:47 AM

Video and more pictures here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4-i7Sor...JkeTVpbnk1bw==

**Harry** · 03-26-2024, 06:47 AM

I can’t speak to civilian ships, but the Navy destroyer I served on would have had sailors manning “after steering”, where they were standing by the ships rudder ready to manually steer the ship, using chains and come-alongs, in case the ship lost power.

No idea if civilian ships do this.

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**Dexter Rutecki** · 03-26-2024, 06:49 AM

Originally Posted by cat in january

That’s a question I have. I assume there was a pilot on board in those waters. In Portland, Maine we had a tanker, the Julie N, hit a bridge because the pilot said turn to starboard when he intended port. The helmsman followed the directions as he should and the tanker hit the bridge resulting in a large oil spill.

Terrible tragedy unfolding. Likely reached the total number of survivors at this point.

I believe at that point there had to be a pilot (they were into the harbor and obviously going under the bridge), and while I'm sure there are lots of possibilities the obvious issue would be some kind of fuck up on the pilot's part (like in ME--of course in that one I'd like to know if the margins in that harbor are so slim that there was no time to correct the starboard/port thing when the ship first started turning the wrong way). While these things are very rare it's still a little hard to believe they can happen at all (counterpoint: Exxon Valdez).

edit: hadn't followed this since last night, didn't know about the possible electrical issue. Was going to say other obvious thing would be mechanical failure. Wonder if the boat really was losing power like that.

**Dexter Rutecki** · 03-26-2024, 06:51 AM

Originally Posted by Vt-Freeheel

Where's that confounded bridge?

How many years have you been sitting on that LZ reference? Nicely done. (Musician dork brother and his bandmates always used to laugh about that line when they'd play that song.)

**FortySixMac** · 03-26-2024, 06:56 AM

Originally Posted by Harry

I can’t speak to civilian ships, but the Navy destroyer I served on would have had sailors manning “after steering”, where they were standing by the ships rudder ready to manually steer the ship, using chains and come-alongs, in case the ship lost power.

No idea if civilian ships do this.

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I’d be ridiculously surprised if a Singapore-flagged ship had those kind of protocols in place.

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**cat in january** · 03-26-2024, 06:58 AM

Originally Posted by Dexter Rutecki

I believe at that point there had to be a pilot (they were into the harbor and obviously going under the bridge), and while I'm sure there are lots of possibilities the obvious issue would be some kind of fuck up on the pilot's part (like in ME--of course in that one I'd like to know if the margins in that harbor are so slim that there was no time to correct the starboard/port thing when the ship first started turning the wrong way). While these things are very rare it's still a little hard to believe they can happen at all (counterpoint: Exxon Valdez).

edit: hadn't followed this since last night, didn't know about the possible electrical issue. Was going to say other obvious thing would be mechanical failure. Wonder if the boat really was losing power like that.

The Portland bridge has since been replaced and the new draw bridge was made much wider to avoid the issues.

To Harry’s point I have not been on a ship of that size, but I very much doubt they have the manpower to devote to manual steerage. Likely not enough room to drop an anchor either.

**Timberridge** · 03-26-2024, 06:59 AM

Lost power, then it looks like when it came back they may have tried reversing the prop which caused the bow to change direction. I wonder if they just coasted thru at the original heading if they would have made it?

Originally Posted by cat in january

Likely not enough room to drop an anchor either.

Someone said they tried but on a moving boat it's tough to get a hold.

**Dexter Rutecki** · 03-26-2024, 07:01 AM

Originally Posted by cat in january

The Portland bridge has since been replaced and the new draw bridge was made much wider to avoid the issues.

Ah, so I guess it probably was pretty tight and one mistaken command could have done it, without time to belay. One question for the Admiral (Harry)...what's a 'come-along?'

**Dexter Rutecki** · 03-26-2024, 07:02 AM

Originally Posted by Timberridge

Lost power, then it looks like when it came back they may have tried reversing the prop which caused the bow to change direction. I wonder if they just coasted thru at the original heading if they would have made it?

Have to imagine it would depend on how much time they would have been coasting, rudder angle, currents...

**From_the_NEK** · 03-26-2024, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by Timberridge

Lost power, then it looks like when it came back they may have tried reversing the prop which caused the bow to change direction. I wonder if they just coasted thru at the original heading if they would have made it?

Lots of current through there. Probably depends on if the tide was going in or out. Looks like it is going in right now based on the slick emanating from the collapsed main span.