Mexico’s navy chief has said that the pilot manning its training ship which crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night was under the control of New York authorities.
“The ship has a training mission and is also an ambassador. Therefore, all its voyages are carried out in accordance with international standards,” Admiral Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles said at a press conference on Tuesday.
He added that with such a large ship that journeys from the harbor “must be controlled by a specialized harbor pilot from the New York government.”
In response, the National Transportation Safety Board told Newsweek: “It is standard practice for a local pilot to help vessels navigate a port as they make their way out to sea.”
Why It Matters
The crash on Saturday evening, occurring when the Cuauhtémoc training vessel collided with bridge spanning the East River, resulted in two deaths and 22 injuries, according to a report by The Guardian.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the crash—described as “the start of a long process”—while precise details on what contributed to the fatal incident remain scarce.
What To Know
The accident happened shortly after sunset on Saturday as the Cuauhtémoc was departing from Pier 17 in lower Manhattan. The ship was scheduled to head south, away from the Brooklyn Bridge, on route to New York Harbor before heading to Iceland.
The Cuauhtémoc ship had 277 people on board when it collided with the bridge spanning the East River on Saturday evening, according to New York authorities. Video showing the ship’s masts collapsing during crash was taken by onlookers in New York’s Dumbo neighborhood, and quickly spread on social media. Minutes after clearing the dock, the vessel’s three 147-foot (44.8-meter) masts were sheered by the underside of the bridge, Reuters reported, knocking several naval cadets off its crossbeams.
The deceased victims have been identified by Mexican authorities as cadets Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos and América Yamilet Sánchez, according to CNN.
Morales Ángeles told reporters: “The entire maneuver the ship made, from leaving the dock to the moment of the collision, was under the control of the pilot.” He added that the harbor pilot decides how the maneuver is carried out “and what resources will be used to assist,” Mexican outlet ABC Noticias reported.
During the press conference, Morales Ángeles acknowledged that the pilot of the vessel had only 80 to 90 seconds to avoid the impact, adding that it was currently impossible to determine whether they took appropriate measures to avoid the collision.
“That’s why we can’t speculate on whether the resources were used properly,” he said. “What we can say is that he had little time to act, because the distance from where the ship was docked to the bridge was very short.”
“We we can’t say, and we have to analyze whether that time was sufficient given the wind, current, and distance conditions,” he added.
What People Are Saying
The National Transportation Safety Board, following a meeting with Mexican officials aboard the Cuauhtémoc on Tuesday, said: “The meeting was very productive and the team looks forward to continuing to work with the Mexican Navy and government in gathering critical information about the bridge strike event.”
Chief Wilson Aramboles of the NYPD Special Operations Bureau, described the crash during a press conference on Saturday evening, telling reporters: “The pilot, the captain that was maneuvering the ship, lost power of the ship, and the current mechanical function caused the ship to go right into the pillar of the bridge, hitting the mast of the ship, where there were a couple of sailors on top of it. These sailors were injured as a result of the mast striking the bridge.”
Maritime historian Salvatore R. Mercogliano told Reuters: “Without the engine failure, the ship would have maybe drifted into the bridge, but it wouldn’t have hit it at speed. The engine failure drove the ship into the bridge.”
The New York Coast Guard told Newsweek: “Foreign ships do require tug escorts/assistance depending on the type of vessel and its characteristics. The Cuauhtémoc did have a tug escort while underway.” It added that it will be supporting the NTSB in its investigation, and that a 50-yard safety zone remains in place around the Cuauhtémoc at Pier 36.
What Happens Next?
During a preliminary briefing on Sunday, lead investigator Brian Young said that the NTSB’s investigation “is the start of a long process.” Young added that the investigation will examine the potential engine failure and the involvement of the tugboat that assisted the vessel in reversing from its pier as potential contributing factors, while also looking at navigational and communications data.
“We will look at the status of the engine, we will look for any failures, we will look for engine inspections and we’ll talk to the crew on what may have possibly happened with the engine,” he said.
The NTSB told Newsweek that a preliminary report will be made available within 30 days, followed by a final report detailing probable cause and recommended actions within 12 to 24 months.
