BALTIMORE (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board says high speed was the probable cause of a shipping accident that did more than $2 million worth of damage to a CSX Corp. coal pier in Baltimore Harbor.
The agency reported on Tuesday that the 477-foot tanker, the Wawasan Ruby, was going 9 to 10 knots in August 2012 when it tried to turn into Curtis Creek and hit the Bayside Coal Pier.
READ MORE: Maryland Weather: Rain Showers Continue But Expect A Sunny WeekendThe NTSB says at least four other ships had successfully made the same turn at speeds averaging 3 to 6 knots. Those ships also were assisted by tugboats secured to their vessels, which the Wawasan Ruby lacked.
READ MORE: Traffic Advisory For US 50 East Before Bay BridgeThe tanker was owned by Panama-based Trio Happiness S.A. It was bound from Florida partially loaded with ethanol.
MORE NEWS: Video Shows Squeegee Worker Assaulting A Driver At Busy Baltimore Intersection(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)