NTSB Final Report: Contact of Containership Dali with Francis Scott Key Bridge
On December 10, 2025, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued its final report on the Contact of containership Dali with Francis Scott Key Bridge and subsequent bridge collapse. The Board met on November 18, 2025, to adopt the final report.
The accident occurred on March 26, 2024, and involved the containership Dali, which was transiting out of Baltimore Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland, when it experienced losses of electrical power, propulsion, and steering and struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge. A substantial portion of the bridge subsequently collapsed into the river, killing six highway workers who were on the bridge when the vessel struck.
The investigation determined that the probable cause of this accident was a loss of electrical power (blackout), due to a loose signal wire connection to a terminal block stemming from the improper installation of wire-label banding, resulting in the vessel’s loss of propulsion and steering close to the bridge.
As a result of this investigation, the NTSB issued 14 new marine safety recommendations and 4 new highway safety recommendations.
For more information about the investigation and the recommendations, visit the investigation page.
Click here to reach the home page of the NTSB website: Home
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