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Towboat in fatal crash had prior power failure
Mike Wereschagin can be reached via e-mail or at 412-320-7900.
The Elizabeth M lost power Sept. 24 near Duquesne on the Monongahela River. Few details were available about the incident because it is still under investigation, said Elizabeth Bates, a Coast Guard Freedom of Information Act analyst.
Coast Guard investigators are seeking to determine, among other things, whether the vessel's 2,200-horsepower engine was enough to push six coal-laden barges into a fierce current Jan. 9. Early that morning, the towboat and three of the barges were pushed over the Montgomery Lock and Dam in Industry, Beaver County.
Coast Guard spokesman Lt. j.g. Justin Covert wasn't familiar with the Sept. 24 incident, but said a loss of power, "probably means loss of propulsion."
The Elizabeth M lost control of her tow when she emerged from the lock and sank in the Ohio River. Three of seven crewmen survived.
The Coast Guard will convene a hearing into the crash at 1 p.m. Monday in the Sheraton Hotel in Station Square. The hearing is expected to last several days.
Elizabeth M owner Campbell Transportation Co., of Dunlevy, Washington County, inspected the vessel's hull and machinery in October, according to a company statement released five days after the crash. The boat was put back into service "in excellent working condition," the company said.
Campbell President Donald Grimm could not be reached for comment yesterday. Elizabeth M crew member Jacob Wild also could not be reached.
Workers at Locks and Dam 2, about two miles from Duquesne, declined to offer their recollections about what happened to the Elizabeth M on Sept. 24.
The Coast Guard also is investigating a Dec. 31 oil spill involving the Elizabeth M about seven miles upstream from the Montgomery Dam.
The vessel "sustained minor hull damage about 18 inches above the water line" the same day, according to Campbell. Emergency repairs weren't needed, the company said. Coast Guard officials would not say how many gallons of oil spilled into the river or why it happened.
The Elizabeth M spilled 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel into the Ohio River in 1998, when it grounded on rocks.
Company officials had stated the Elizabeth M had a clean accident record, but apologized for overlooking the fuel spill when the Gulf Coast Mariners Association, a group representing industry workers, pointed out the '98 accident.
A sonar-equipped salvage crew found the last of the Elizabeth M's four sunken barges Tuesday beneath another barge stuck on the Montgomery Dam.
The Elizabeth M likely will remain lodged beneath the dam for several weeks, said Karen Auer, Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman. Officials are waiting until water levels drop and currents return to normal so salvage crews can work safely near the boat and dam.
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