The National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) issued a marine accident brief on the 2019 contact of a towboat with a Union Pacific Railway bridge on the Atchafalaya River, near Krotz Springs.
NTSB determined that the probable cause of the crash was the captain allowing the tow to proceed beyond a safe decision point without confirming the status of the bridge opening, given the high river current, according to a NTSB report.
On April 24, 2019, at 11:48 pm, the towing vessel Edna T. Gattle was pushing the barge Terral 2 downbound on the Atchafalaya River through the Union Pacific Railway Bridge at mile 41.5, when the captain lost control of the tow and the vessel and barge made contact with the bridge and piers, the report stated. As a result, the barge suffered $26,748 in damages, and the bridge sustained $500,000 in damages and was out of service for three days. No injuries or pollution were reported.
Click here to read the full report.
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