The legal proceedings surrounding the container ship Dali’s collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge are intensifying, as new allegations have emerged regarding the vessel’s equipment malfunctions prior to the accident. Plaintiffs in a civil suit against the ship’s owner and operator, Grace Ocean, contend that issues with the vessel’s auxiliary power system were not the only contributing factors to the incident. They have pointed out that the hydraulic brake control on the port anchor windlass had been inoperable for two weeks leading up to the accident, a situation that ultimately hindered the crew’s ability to deploy the anchor effectively during a critical moment.
The plaintiffs argue that although the manual control system for the anchor windlass could still be operated, it required two crew members to manage safely. On the night of the incident, there was only one crew member available on the bow when the Dali began to drift towards the bridge after losing power. When the captain ordered an urgent deployment of the anchor, the lone crew member was unable to execute the task, which the plaintiffs claim directly contributed to the ship hitting the bridge.
The incident occurred on March 26, 2024, during the early hours when the Dali lost power and drifted towards the bridge’s pylon. Despite the captain’s instruction to deploy the port anchor “fast fast,” the recording from the vessel’s data recorder shows that the sound of the chain being deployed was not detected until a minute and 46 seconds later. This critical delay, the plaintiffs argue, reduced the effectiveness of the anchor in exerting counter-steering forces, which could have altered the trajectory of the ship and possibly prevented the collision.
Further complicating matters, the legal filing highlights that Dali had two auxiliary generators operating before it experienced sequential power losses that ultimately led to the allision. The attorneys cite testimony from the ship’s chief engineer, arguing that maintaining three operational generators could have prevented the second power loss, which was pivotal in the events leading to the bridge strike.
Grace Ocean has sought to limit its liability in federal court to the post-salvage value of the ship, estimated at $44 million. However, this motion faces opposition from numerous claimants, including the families of victims, local governments, federal authorities, and cargo owners, all of whom are pursuing substantially higher compensation. The financial repercussions are considerable, with the projected costs for replacing the damaged bridge alone reaching several billion dollars. As the legal battle unfolds, the focus remains on the alleged equipment failures and failures of the crew that led to this maritime disaster.
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