USCG begins public hearing on El Faro sinking

The purpose of the Marine Board of Investigation hearing, which begins tomorrow Feb. 16 in Jacksonville, Fla., will be to determine the cause of the incident and create safety recommendations for the industry.    The United States Coast Guard’s Marine Board of Investigation will begin a public hearing on the sinking of the El Faro tomorrow, Feb. 16 at the Prime F. Osborn Convention Center in Jacksonville, Fla.
   The TOTE Maritime general cargo vessel sank in the Atlantic Ocean on Oct. 1, 2015 when it sailed into the path of Hurricane Joaquin en route from Jacksonville to San Juan, Puerto Rico, claiming the lives of its 28-member crew and five additional sailors on board.
   The purpose of the 10-day MBI hearing will be to determine the cause of the incident, evaluate whether evidence suggests any misconduct or negligence contributing to the loss, and create safety recommendations for the industry in an attempt to prevent future incidents.
   The last time the USCG convened the full MBI board for an investigation like this was following the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in 2010, which killed 11 crew members and caused more than 200 million gallons of oil to spill into the Gulf of Mexico.
   During the hearings, marine shipping experts, company executives and family members of the crew are expected to testify regarding the condition and maintenance history of the El Faro, including its lifesaving equipment; TOTE company structure, hiring practices and ship tracking systems; and USCG’s role in early response and rescue efforts. Since the incident, many have questioned why the ship sailed into a massive hurricane in the first place and whether the captain might have been under pressure to sail under such dangerous conditions.
   Following the investigation and a subsequent hearing likely to take place in the spring, the MBI will issue a full report on its findings and future recommendations. The MBI noted its hearing is not a criminal proceeding, but the Coast Guard can submit any evidence of wrongdoing or illegal activity uncovered in its investigation to the U.S. Department of Justice.
   MBI board members include experienced marine casualty investigators, technical experts, legal advisers and other USCG support personnel, as well as a marine investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board.
   NTSB said last week it would launch a second expedition to search for evidence in its own investigation into the loss the ill-fated cargo vessel. The key objective of the two-week NTSB mission in April will be to locate the voyage data recorder or “black box” dislodged from the El Faro when it sank.
   The Marine Board of Investigation hearings are open to the public and the Coast Guard will be tweeting live updates from @uscoastguard under the hashtags #CGMBI and #Elfaro. Interested parties may ask questions or make comments via the e-mail address ELFARO@uscg.mil, and the proceedings proceedings may also be viewed via a live stream hosted by the Coast Guard.