El Faro’s ‘black box’ reveals 26 hours of information

The voyage data recorder from the U.S.-flag cargo ship that sank Oct. 1, 2015 near the Bahamas was in good condition and revealed bridge audio, weather data and navigational data.    The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday that 26 hours of information was retrieved from the El Faro’s voyage data recorder (VDR), including bridge audio, weather data and navigational data.
   The U.S.-flag cargo ship sank en route from Jacksonville, Fla. to San Juan, Puerto Rico during Hurricane Joaquin Oct. 1, 2015, resulting in the loss of all 33 crew members.
   On Oct. 31, 2015, the vessel’s wreckage was found near the Bahamas in about 15,000 feet of water. On April 26, the VDR was discovered, and in May, investigators began collaborating with scientists and deepwater recovery experts to determine how the VDR could be recovered given its proximity to nearby obstacles. On Aug. 8, the device was officially retrieved.
   Investigators found the VDR to be in good condition and downloaded the memory module data in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended procedures. The quality of the recording is degraded due to the high levels of background noise, NTSB said.
   The recording began Sept. 30, 2015 at 5:37 a.m., approximately eight hours after the El Faro departed Jacksonville. At this point, the vessel was about 150 nautical miles southeast of the city.
   Bridge audio from Oct. 1, 2015 captured the master and crew discussing their actions regarding the vessel’s list and flooding. At 6:13 a.m. on Oct. 1, the vessel’s loss of propulsion was mentioned. “Also captured was the master speaking on the telephone, notifying shoreside personnel of the vessel’s critical situation, and preparing to abandon ship if necessary,” NTSB said.
   At about 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 1, 2015, the master ordered abandon ship and sounded the alarm. Ten minutes later, the recording had ended.
   NTSB said these times are preliminary and subject to change. The VDR group’s technical experts will continue reviewing the recording.
   Families of the El Faro’s crew were briefed earlier Wednesday, prior to this latest update on the vessel’s VDR.
   NTSB said it is still not clear how long it will take to develop the final transcript of the VDR. “The length of the recording and high levels of background noise will make transcript development a time consuming process,” NTSB said. “An update will be updated when warranted.”