The NTSB says an improperly placed wire label on the container ship Dali likely caused electrical connection problems and intermittent power losses moments before it struck Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024. Investigators say the tag was attached to a wire ferrule during construction about 10 years ago and may have affected steering and key systems, but a final probable cause has not yet been determined. The bridge collapse killed six construction workers; no crew members aboard the ship died. Maryland now estimates the rebuild will cost $4.3–$5.2 billion and reopen around late 2030.
Misplaced Wire Label Likely Triggered Ship Power Failures Before Fatal Key Bridge Collapse, NTSB Says
The NTSB says an improperly placed wire label on the container ship Dali likely caused electrical connection problems and intermittent power losses moments before it struck Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024. Investigators say the tag was attached to a wire ferrule during construction about 10 years ago and may have affected steering and key systems, but a final probable cause has not yet been determined. The bridge collapse killed six construction workers; no crew members aboard the ship died. Maryland now estimates the rebuild will cost $4.3–$5.2 billion and reopen around late 2030.
06:38 AM, 11/19/2025Society
NTSB Flags Misplaced Wire Label as Likely Cause of Ship Power Loss
The National Transportation Safety Board reported at a public meeting that an improperly positioned wire label, affixed during the vessel's construction about a decade ago, likely contributed to electrical connection problems and intermittent power losses aboard the container ship Dali shortly before it struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024.
Investigators said the small tag had been attached to the wire's metal ferrule (the crimped ring cap), which may have prevented a reliable electrical connection. That degraded connection could explain the vessel's repeated power interruptions, though NTSB officials emphasized they have not yet issued a final probable cause; the board will vote at the meeting's conclusion to determine an official finding.
“The fact is, none of us should be here today,” said Jennifer Homendy, NTSB chair. “This tragedy should have never occurred. Lives should have never been lost; as with all accidents that we investigate, this was preventable.”
According to investigator Marcel Muise, the misplaced label may have caused failures that deprived the ship of effective steering and disabled systems including the bow thruster, bilge/water pumps and lighting. Minutes before the collision witnesses reported the ship’s lights flickering and black smoke emitting from the stack — both consistent with power loss. A preliminary NTSB report released last year noted the vessel experienced two separate power losses shortly before impact.
The 947-foot, Singapore-flagged container vessel Dali, operating under charter to Maersk and bound for Sri Lanka, struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the early hours of March 26, 2024. The impact caused a span of the bridge to collapse into the Patapsco River, killing six roadwork crew members who were on the structure at the time; all six bodies were later recovered in their vehicles. More than 20 crew members aboard the ship survived and none were fatally injured.
Officials have not explained why the improperly placed label would have created a problem only after roughly 10 years of service. The NTSB continues its technical examination to determine how that connection degraded and whether other factors contributed to the loss of power and loss of vessel control.
Maryland officials announced updated estimates for rebuilding the Key Bridge, saying the replacement is now projected to cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion and to open around late 2030 — about two years later than earlier projections.
The company that operates the Dali issued a statement expressing cooperation with authorities and support for the crew, and thanked investigators for their work and the pilots and crew for their actions under extremely difficult circumstances.
What Happens Next
The NTSB will vote to determine a probable cause at the meeting's conclusion. That formal finding will clarify whether the improperly positioned wire label — alone or in combination with other factors — is the primary cause of the power loss events that preceded the collision.