Misplaced Wire Label Led to Fatal Baltimore Bridge Collapse, NTSB Finds

Federal investigators have determined that a misplaced wire label was the primary cause of the electrical failures that led the Dali container ship to crash into and destroy Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released an investigative update detailing the sequence of events that culminated in the catastrophic March 26 incident which killed six construction workers.

The initial power loss occurred during routine maintenance while the ship was in the Port of Baltimore. According to the NTSB, a crew member attempted to connect a loose electrical cable but, due to an incorrectly placed label, attached it to the wrong terminal. This mistake immediately tripped the main circuit breakers, causing the ship's first blackout. This single human error set off a chain reaction of electrical failures aboard the vessel that proved critical just as it was navigating the Patapsco River.

After the crew restored power, a second blackout occurred shortly after, leaving the 984-foot vessel without propulsion or steering control at a crucial moment. The ship was unable to alter its course and drifted into a main support pier of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The impact caused the bridge to collapse into the river within seconds. The NTSB's report provides the first clear technical explanation for the power loss, shifting the investigation's focus toward the ship’s maintenance protocols and electrical systems.

The findings offer significant clarity into the disaster, which has had a massive economic impact on the Port of Baltimore, one of the nation's busiest commercial harbors. The federal investigation's update on the incident confirms that multiple power sources failed to activate as designed after the initial trip. While the NTSB's full investigation is ongoing and a final report with recommendations is still pending, this update pinpoints a specific maintenance error as the triggering event. The inquiry will continue to examine the ship's overall condition and the actions of its crew and operators.