NTSB Report: Tow Pilot’s Anticipation Leads to Costly Mississippi River Accident

An experienced tow pilot’s anticipation of river conditions that never materialized led to a costly accident on the Mississippi River, according to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report released Tuesday.

The incident occurred on May 9, 2024, when the towing vessel Joe B. Wyatt struck the protection cell and fendering system of the Fort Madison Bridge near Fort Madison, Iowa. The vessel was pushing 13 loaded hopper barges and 2 empty tank barges downriver when the collision occurred, resulting in the tow breaking apart.

“Anticipating a strong cross-current that never materialized, an experienced tow pilot deviated from the sailing line on the Mississippi River and struck components of the Fort Madison Bridge,” the NTSB stated in its findings.

The pilot, who had decades of experience including numerous transits through the Fort Madison Bridge’s primary channel, maneuvered the tow more than 200 feet off the sailing line toward the right descending bank. This decision was based on his expectation of a cross-current from Dutchman Island that would push the vessel toward the left bank.

When the pilot realized the anticipated cross-current “wasn’t holding him up” as expected, the head of the tow was only about 1,900 feet from the bridge. Despite increasing engine power to maneuver back toward the center of the channel, the third barge in the starboard string contacted a protection cell at the base of a bridge pylon.

The collision broke apart the tow, sending 13 of the 15 barges through the span and downriver with two deckhands still aboard. Two barges became lodged between the protection cell and the tug.

The NTSB highlighted the importance of sailing lines in its report: “A sailing line is assigned to a known safe route used by commercial vessels. A sailing line is developed with consideration of channel depth, current patterns, and any other known obstructions to navigation.”

No injuries or pollution resulted from the incident, but damage to the protection cell, fendering system, barges, and the Joe B. Wyatt was estimated at $3.28 million.

The 158-foot Joe B. Wyatt was built in 1982 and is owned and operated by Ingram Barge Company LLC. At the time of the incident, the vessel was pushing a tow with an overall length of 1,153 feet and a maximum width of 105 feet.

The NTSB determined that “the probable cause of the contact of the Joe B. Wyatt tow with a protection cell and the fendering system of the Fort Madison Bridge was the pilot overcompensating for anticipated river crosscurrents during the tow’s approach to a bridge.”

Marine Investigation Report 25-28 documenting the full investigation is available on the NTSB website.