Ethan Allen News

1775 - American forces under Gen. Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen cross Lake Champlain and capture the British fort at Ticonderoga, New York. The US Navy has honored this action by naming five ships after the battle. 1862 - The Norfolk Navy Yard is burned before being evacuated by Confederate forces in a general withdrawal up the peninsula to defend Richmond. Also on this date, Pensacola is re-occupied by Union Army and Navy forces. Confederate forces destroyed the Navy Yard the day before. 1944 - USS Cod (SS 224) attacks a large Japanese convoy and destroyer off the west coast of Luzon.

1862 - Navy ship USS Ethan Allen, commanded by acting-Lt. William B. Eaton, captures the schooner Olive Branch at sea off the Florida coast. 1943 - Submarines USS Pollack (SS 180) and USS Gato (SS 212) attack and cause the sinking of two Japanese ships. 1945 - TF 38 aircraft attacks Japanese shipping and airfields on Formosa and in the Pescadores, sinking approximately 15 vessels. 1954 - The world's first nuclear submarine, USS Nautilus (SSN-571) is christened and launched at Groton, Conn.

Adm. Gary Roughead, Commander U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFF), announced the selection of Fleet Master Chief (SS/SW) Rick West June 18 as U.S. Fleet Forces Command Fleet Master Chief (FLTCMC). “It is truly an honor to be here,” said West. West, a Rising Fawn, Ga., native, recently served as the U.S. Pacific Fleet Master Chief. Prior to that assignment, he was the Command Master Chief of USS Preble (DDG 88). He relieved Fleet Master Chief Jacqueline DiRosa to become USFF’s 14th Fleet Master Chief. DiRosa will now serve as the Director, Command Master Chief Management Office in Washington. With his new assignment, West becomes the senior enlisted advisor for more than 97…

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a synopsis on July 25 of its investigation of the capsizing of the New York State-certified passenger vessel Ethan Allen at Lake George on October 2, 2005. The vessel was carrying 47 passengers and an operator. Three passengers were seriously injured; six received minor injuries; and 20 passengers died in the incident. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the capsizing was insufficient stability, resulting in part from undue reliance on the manufacturer’s capacity plate data and failure to assess the vessel’s characteristics following modifications. (Source: ww.hklaw.com)

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public Board meeting July in Washington, D.C. The Board will consider a final accident report on the October 2005 tour boat that capsized on Lake George. Twenty of the 48 people aboard died in the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will meet in Washington, DC on July 25. The purpose of the meeting is to consider the marine accident report relating to the capsizing and sinking of the New York State-certified passenger vessel ETHAN ALLEN at Lake George, New York on October 2, 2005. 71 Fed. Reg. 40739 Source: HK Law

As part of its continuing investigation into the capsizing of the Ethan Allen in Lake George, New York last year, the National Transportation Safety Board will open a public docket and release a series of factual reports on Friday, June 30. On October 2, 2005 the Ethan Allen, a tour boat operating in Lake George, New York, capsized. Twenty of the 48 people aboard died in the accident. The information being released is factual in nature and does not provide analysis. It will include investigative group factual reports; interviews, including those from the operator, passengers and witnesses; and other documents from the investigation. Additional material will be added to the docket as it becomes available.

The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a team of investigators to the scene of the capsizing of the vessel Ethan Allen at Lake George, New York. Twenty passengers died in the accident. following is an update of factual information collected by the Safety Board's team. Cummins Inc., the manufacturer of the engine on the Ethan Allen, was offered and they have accepted party status. Cummins will provide expertise during the fact- finding portion of the investigation. They will provide technical input regarding the engine and will participate in the testing of engine components. No toxicology testing was performed by local law enforcement immediately following the accident.

The Ethan Allen was in violation of state law during its sightseeing cruise on Sunday, according to a report from ABC News. New York regulations say that any commercial boat carrying between 21 and 50 passengers must have one crew member, in addition to the boat's operator. According to officials, that applied to the Ethan Allen and its 47 passengers. The tour boat capsized on Lake George Sunday, killing 20 people. State regulators have suspended licenses for all five vessels belonging to Shoreline Cruises, the company that operated the tour, officials told The Associated Press. State officials said the boat's captain had a valid master's license issued by the state and that the boat was inspected in May and passed.