Posted on 11/19/25
| News Source: FOX45
Baltimore, MD - Nov. 19, 2025 - Twenty months later, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is revealing its long-awaited findings on the Key Bridge disaster. During an hours long public meeting Tuesday, federal investigators claimed something shockingly small is what plunged the massive Dali into darkness — a single loose wire buried among thousands on board.
The NTSB also warned dozens of other bridges nationwide — including Maryland’s Bay Bridge — face similar risks.
“The fact is none of us should be here today. This tragedy should have never occurred,” NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said.
Calling it a preventable tragedy, the NTSB first broke down what went wrong, then discussed what needs to change to keep it from happening again.
Before colliding with the Key Bridge on March 26, 2024, video captured the container ship losing power twice. The NTSB now says a single loose wire is what caused the initial outage, igniting a cascade of failures that culminated in the bridge’s catastrophic collapse.
“How could a single loose wire to this? It was this specific wire and its location, was the reason why the breaker tripped,” a Marine Transportation Safety official said.
Three days before the disaster, the Dali’s switchboard was visually inspected, but not scanned with infrared technology. Investigators claim had more modern methods been used the loose signal wire may have been found. And yet, “They have not updated their SMS (safety management systems) to incorporate more detailed inspections, they have not. No,” said Barton Barnum, an engineer with the NTSB's Office of Marine Safety.
“That’s very concerning,” an NTSB board member replied.
But that was only the beginning. Following the first blackout, a second occurred due to insufficient fuel pressure. The NTSB said crew members had been misusing a flushing pump meant for cleaning to supply fuel to the Dali’s diesel generators. Investigators called it an “operational oversight” because that pump isn’t designed to restore fuel pressure on its own after a power outage.
Also slowing response times, investigators found the Dali’s high voltage breakers were in manual mode, rather than automatic. “Which, would have shortened the initial underway blackout from 58 seconds to 10 seconds, providing more time for the crew to attempt to recover critical systems,” an NTSB official said.
And provided more time to warn the construction crews working to fill potholes on the bridge. The NTSB claims the crew had exchanged cell phone information with MDTA officers. However, amid the chaos, authorities never called. The NTSB found the six workers who lost their lives were ultimately left without warning and without any chance to escape.
The NTSB now recommends new bridge safety standards include a better warning system, such as installing roadside hazards, to alert motorists when a threat is detected.
Another key recommendation is for bridge owners to adjust their vulnerability assessment calculations based on modern vessel traffic.
With the expansion of global trade, comes bigger ships and higher risks. Under today’s standards, investigators found the Key Bridge was nearly 30 times above the acceptable risk threshold for a catastrophic collapse. And it’s not alone, the NTSB put out a notice to 68 bridges nationwide, asking them to undergo a new safety assessment.
All have responded, but only 35 have completed their calculations. So far, 13 bridges have been deemed safe, while 22 are considered at risk — including both spans of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
“Your loved one should still be with us today. Please know that as a result of this investigation, we will continue to advocate for the full implementation of all the safety recommendations adopted today,” NTSB Board Member Thomas Chapman said.