NTSB Releases SI Ferry Report

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its report on the allision of the Staten Island ferry ANDREW J. BARBERI with the pier at St. George, Staten Island, New York on October 15, 2003. Eleven passengers died in the incident and 70 were injured. The primary causes of the casualty were the incapacitation of the assistant captain and the failure of the NYC Department of Transportation to implement and oversee safe, effective operating procedures on the ferries. A contributing cause was the failure of the captain to exercise his command responsibility. The NTSB recommends: that the NYC Department of Transportation implement a comprehensive safety management system and make related improvements; that the Coast Guard require that results of physical exams be reported to it and that the agency develop uniform standards for conducting physical exams of mariners; and that all public ferry operators implement safety management systems.