NTSB: NY ferry crashed because of captain’s confusion
Switching between modes caused speed increase
The captain of the ferry that struck a pier in NY in January 2013, seriously injuring four people, lost control because of confusion about the mode in which the ferry was operating, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which has issued its report on the accident.
According to the NTSB, the crash occurred because the captain lost control of the vessel while attempting to dock. Additionally, the procedure used by the captain to reduce speed and transfer control from one bridge station to another while approaching the pier did not allow enough time to adequately respond to the loss of propulsion control.