The M/V Dali ship that crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge had blackouts the day before the accident, according to an NTSB report

BALTIMORE– The transport ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March experienced two blackouts while docked, 10 hours before the collision that brought down part of the bridge span, according to a preliminary report released Tuesday by the National Safety Board. Transportation (NTSB).

In addition to two power outages while the ship was in port, there were two power outages in the moments before the accident, causing the ship’s main pipeline to shut down, according to the NTSB. The crew was unable to regain propulsion before crashing into the bridge, the report said.

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Federal investigators say fuel tests showed no irregularities and are now focusing the investigation on the ship’s electrical system.

The M/V Dali experienced two blackouts on March 25 while the Sri Lanka-based ship was undergoing maintenance at the Seagirt Marine Terminal in the Port of Baltimore, according to the report.

A crew member mistakenly closed the inline engine exhaust hatch on one of the vessel’s four diesel generators, blocking the engine’s exhaust gas outlet, according to the NTSB. That, in turn, caused the engine to stall and the diesel generators to stop working, according to the report.

When the Dali’s systems detected the loss of power, another generator was started, according to the NTSB report.

Crews were able to get the first generator back online. However, a second blackout occurred when “insufficient fuel pressure caused [the second generator’s] The speed slowed and its circuit breaker…opened,” causing another blackout, according to the NTSB.

After crews were able to reopen the exhaust hatch of the first faulty generator, it automatically restarted and power was restored, according to the report.

The Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge over Baltimore Harbor at 1:28 a.m. ET on March 26, causing part of the bridge span to collapse during the early morning hours of March 26 after it experienced two blackouts. The first blackout caused the Dali’s engine to shut down and her propeller to stall, the report said.

The first loss of power shut down the main engine, according to the NTSB. The crew was able to restore power, but the ship lost power again moments later as she approached the bridge, according to the NTSB.

The crew was able to regain power again, but was unable to regain propulsion, the report said.

“The NTSB is still investigating the electrical configuration following the first outage at the port and potential impacts on events during the accident voyage,” the report says.

According to the NTSB, there were no incidents of blackouts when the Dali was docked in the ports of Newark and Norfolk during its recent voyage to the United States.

Video of the incident showed the Dali’s lights going out and smoke billowing from the ship before it crashed.

Crews on board were able to warn officials about the malfunction, giving them time to close the bridge to oncoming traffic before the accident. However, six men working on the bridge were unable to get off and died.

The accident affected the entrance to Baltimore Harbor for weeks, as debris blocked the entrance of other ships.

Investigation and recovery efforts are ongoing. The NTSB’s final report on the cause of the incident could take up to two years to complete.

The Dali remained trapped at the crash site, but recovery teams made progress this week after they set off controlled explosions on Monday to remove the bridge section that was attached to the ship.