The NTSB completed its investigation of the Nov. 22, 2020, accident involving barges towed by the Trent Joseph and George C and the Barataria Bridge near Barataria, Louisiana.
The incident
On November 22, 2020, about 2122 local time, the towing vessels Trent Joseph and George C together were towing two barges southbound in the Barataria Waterway near Barataria, Louisiana.
While passing through the open Barataria Bridge, the second barge contacted the bridge’s swing span. The bridge, which was the only means of road access for the community of Barataria, was damaged and remained unusable until Nov. 28.
There were no injuries and no pollution reported. Damage to the barge was negligible, while damage to the bridge was reported to be more than $500,000.
Both the Barataria Bridge’s center and east fenders had red navigation lights to mark the ends and middle of each fender. The east fender’s red lights were removed for repair before the accident.
The captain of the Trent Joseph stated that, as the tow approached the bridge, the two red lights marking the center fender that should have been visible to him were not. He used a spotlight to look for the fenders when approaching the bridge.
When the Trent Joseph was about 100 feet from the bridge, the captain saw with the spotlight that the swing span had “over-rotated” and extended past the center fender wall.
Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development maintenance records indicated that two days before the accident work had been conducted on the bridge’s limit switches (which prevent the movement of the swing span beyond a predetermined point).
NTSB Findings
After the accident, the crew of the Trent Joseph and the captain and deckhand of the George C were tested for alcohol and other drugs, all with negative results.
Investigators determined the probable cause of the contact of the tow of the Trent Joseph with the Barataria Bridge was a corner of the bridge’s swing span protruding outside of its protective fendering into the navigable channel after recently attempted repairs to the limit switch system that controlled the swing span’s rotation limit.
Lessons learned:
- When the Trent Joseph was about 100 feet from the bridge, the captain saw with the spotlight that the swing span had “over-rotated” and extended past the center fender wall.
- After the accident, photos taken at the scene and a postaccident survey report confirmed that the swing span’s beam was struck by the aft port corner (starboard forward when oriented in the tow) of the barge JMSS Mobile.
- There was no damage to the Trent Joseph, George C, or the forward barge, KS 4513, or any deck equipment and cargo. The aft barge, JMSS Mobile, sustained paint scrapes and gouges about 6 feet above the waterline on the aft port corner with no indentations or fractures found. Repairs were not required.
- The Barataria Bridge sustained major damage, with a sheer in the north end floor beam and damage to the center bearing, guide wheels, supports, drive system gears, and mounting. There was also damage to the electrical cabling for the bridge and to the center pier concrete.