From those interviews, investigators hope to gain a better understanding of how the vessel was functioning. Given that crews come and go, the NTSB will also examine its inspection history as far back “as they can go, to see if there are any patterns with mechanical failures.”

Built in 2015, the 984-foot Dali was cited for deficiencies with its propulsion and auxiliary machinery during a June 2023 inspection at the Port of San Antonio in Chile, according to the Electronic Quality Shipping Information System, a shipping information website. An inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard in September reported no deficiencies, according to the data compiled by Equasis.

The Dali’s predominantly Indian crew remains aboard and has been “cooperating with what we need,” Vice Admiral Peter W. Gautier of the Coast Guard said during a White House press briefing Wednesday about bridge collapse. “They’re still there and very much engaged in the dialogue and investigation.”

In addition to alcohol and drug testing for everyone aboard at the time of an incident, investigators require crew members to document their work and rest history for the previous 72 hours, Roth-Roffy said.

“Fatigue is a huge issue in a lot of investigations,” he said.

Roth-Roffy said crew conversation as a situation devolves into an emergency can be telling to investigators of mariners’ level of training and adherence to required safety management protocols.

“When you lose a main engine or lose a generator, a lot of the equipment will come on automatically, but some of it may not,” he said. “And you have to be able to quickly identify what you need to get that generator started again or get that main engine started again.”

A local pilot was at the helm of the Dali when it appeared to lose power early Tuesday, causing the ship’s steering and propulsion system to fail, said Clay Diamond, executive director of the American Pilots Association.

The pilot did “everything he could” by contacting authorities and steering the ship’s rudder to the left once its backup generators kicked in, though the ship’s engines were still inoperable, he said. The ship also dropped anchor. Diamond credited those maneuvers with giving authorities the extra time to shut down bridge traffic.

At a Wednesday afternoon news conference, Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath of the Coast Guard said his agency was not made aware of any engine problems while the Dali was in the port.

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