Where are the answers to the causes of the engine failure of the 984 foot long “Dali”, the container ship that hit the Interstate Route 695 Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River yesterday, March 26, 2024? Diesel fuel is lighter than water so water collects along the bottom of the fuel tanks where the fuel pickups that lead to the fuel pumps that feed the fuel injectors are located. If the fuel tanks were only partially filled there probably was condensation inside the tanks that would get into the fuel as the boat began to move and the fuel began sloshing around which would draw the condensation on the walls of the fuel tanks into the fuel where it would go to the bottom of the tanks where the fuel pickups are. The engine probably had water filters in the lines to trap the water before it got into the engine but s little bit of water in diesel fuel will stop the engine. The Dali nearly missed hitting the support for the bridge when it was unable to steer and stay in the channel that would have put it far from the bridge support. The Dali hit the bridge more than 100 yards off the usual route. The Dali is 157 feet wide and it appears that it hit the bridge support on it’s left side so if it had been able to steer just about 60 feet or so to it’s left it would have missed the support.
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