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Pilot Overcompensating for Crosscurrents Led to Bridge Contact

Pilot Overcompensating for Crosscurrents Led to Bridge Contact

MARINELOG

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 near Fort Madison, Iowa,

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 near Fort Madison, Iowa, the National Transportation Safety Board has concluded.

The towing vessel Joe B. Wyatt was pushing 13 loaded hopper barges and two empty tank barges downriver on May 9, 2024, when the tow struck the bridge’s protection cell and fendering system and broke apart.

No injuries or pollution were reported. Damage to the protection cell, fendering system, barges and the Joe B. Wyatt was estimated at $3.28 million.

The pilot had decades of experience maneuvering tows, including through the Fort Madison Bridge’s primary channel. Based on this experience and his anticipation of a cross-current coming from around Dutchman Island, he maneuvered the tow over 200 feet off the sailing line toward the right descending bank. The cross-current, if present at the time, did not have the effect the pilot anticipated. Because the pilot overcompensated for the anticipated cross-current, the 1,153-foot-long tow was out of position as it approached the bridge.

The pilot increased the vessel’s engine power to try to maneuver the head of the tow back toward the

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