South Carolina: Another Container Ship Disaster Narrowly Averted, Engines “Were Stuck Nearly Full-Ahead”
June 6th, 2024Via: The Hill:
An investigation is underway after a large container ship lost the ability to control its engines in Charleston Harbor, prompting a temporary closure of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.
U.S. Coast Guard Sector Command Center in Charleston, South Carolina, received a report from the harbor’s pilot dispatch around 12:17 p.m. of an out-of-control vessel in the Cooper River.
Deputy Commander Randy Preston said the vessel was identified as the MSC Michigan 7, a 997-foot, 74,000-ton container ship outbound from the North Charleston container terminal headed to Savannah, Georgia.
“The pilot on board indicated the vessel lost ability to control the engines and they were stuck nearly full-ahead with the vessel making between 14 to 17 knots,” said Preston. Throttles were near-full forward and could not be moved out of that position.
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