Damages totaled more than $3 million after a tow pilot struck components of an Iowa bridge in May 2024, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a recent investigation report.
According to the towing vessel Joe B. Wyatt was pushing 13 loaded hopper barges and two empty tank barges down the Mississippi River when the tow struck the Fort Madison Bridge’s protection cell and fendering system and broke apart. No injuries or pollution were reported. Damage to the protection cell, fendering system, barges and the Joe B. Wyatt was estimated at $3.28 million.
The NTSB reported that the pilot had decades of experience maneuvering tows, including through the Fort Madison Bridge’s primary channel. Based on this experience and his anticipation of a cross-current coming from around Dutchman Island, he maneuvered the tow over 200 feet off the sailing line toward the right descending bank. The cross-current, if present at the time, did not have the effect the pilot anticipated. Because the pilot overcompensated for the anticipated cross-current, the 1,153-foot-long tow was out of position as it approached the bridge.
The pilot increased the vessel’s engine power to try to maneuver the head of the tow back toward the center of the channel. Despite his efforts, the third barge in the starboard string contacted the protection cell. The tow subsequently broke apart and 13 of the 15 barges drifted downriver.
“Generally, a sailing line is assigned to a known safe route used by commercial vessels,” the report said. “A sailing line is developed with consideration of channel depth, current patterns, and any other known obstructions to navigation. A charted sailing line provides for a safe and successful transit when used as a guide, along with the mariner’s own experience and assessment of the existing circumstances.”
Marine Investigation Report 25-28 is
Photo: Barges IN122011 and IN155499 blocking the primary channel immediately after impact. The Joe B. Wyatt is shown in the background. (Source: U.S. Coast Guard)
Topics Iowa
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