Cargo ship in Baltimore disaster one of hundreds in US to lose propulsion

Six people died after a cargo ship lost propulsion causing the vessel to slam into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26. Now, it’s being revealed that the incident may be part of a larger problem involving ships losing propulsion in U.S. waterways.

A Washington Post analysis on Tuesday, April 16, revealed that hundreds of incidents involving ships losing propulsion, many near critical infrastructure, have been reported over the past few years.

The latest incident happened less than two weeks after the Baltimore disaster on Friday, April 5. A massive container vessel experienced propulsion failure near a bridge connecting New York and New Jersey.

The APL Qingdao — which stretches more than 1,100 feet — faced engine failure while navigating a narrow passage beneath the Bayonne Bridge, which is used by thousands of commuters each day. Maritime chatter reportedly declared it a “dead ship.” In response, three tugboats were called in to guide the vessel to safety.

The vessel was forced to drop an anchor near another busy bridge, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which carries about 200,000 vehicles per day. Eventually, the ship was able to continue its journey.

The April 5 incident is one of many involving cargo ships losing power near critical bridges and ports over the past few years. The failures put lives at risk, as well as property, as noted by the bridge collapse in Baltimore.

Part of the problem is the increasing size of cargo ships and lack of consistent rules on tugboat escorts. According to experts, without proper guidance, ships are more susceptible to accidents. Experts are calling for clearer rules and more tugboats to escort vessels.

Safety advocates said implementing regulations and guidelines for ship navigation enhances safety, especially for vessels that experience engine failure.

Around Baltimore alone, the Washington Post found that ships lost propulsion nearly two dozen times in the three years before the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

The U.S. Coast Guard also identified several cases of ships hitting objects after losing power, including one ship striking a grain dock in the Lower Mississippi River.

The Washington Post reported that in some cases, poor maintenance, aging or faulty equipment were to blame for engine failure. In other cases, human error was the cause of the problem.