JUNE 7, 2016 — The National Transportation Safety Board says it would launch a mission early July to get better the voyage information recorder (VDR) from the TOTE cargo ship El Faro.
The 790-foot, U.S.-flagged, cargo ship sank October 1, 2015, throughout Hurricane Joaquin whereas crusing from Jacksonville, FL, to San Juan, Puerto Rico. All 33 aboard perished within the accident.
The El Faro’s VDR was positioned April 26 in about 15,000 toes of water close to the Bahamas.
Earlier, the El Faro wreckage was positively recognized on Nov. 1, 2015, however video revealed the ship’s navigation bridge construction and the deck under it had separated from the hull. The lacking bridge construction included the mast and its base to which the voyage information recorder was mounted.
The navigation bridge was discovered Nov. 11, however searchers had been unable to find the mast or the VDR till a subsequent mission succeeded in finding the VDR and finishing video- and photo-documentation of the accident website.
Shortly after the VDR was positioned, the NTSB introduced that one other mission to get better the VDR could be launched.
After investigators collaborated in May with scientists and deep water restoration specialists, to find out how the VDR may very well be recovered given its proximity to close by obstacles, the NTSB contracted with the U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage to help within the restoration effort.
The naval sources taking part within the restoration effort embody the USNS Apache and CURV-21, a remotely operated underwater car. CURV-21 is similar tools used to find the El Faro wreckage in November.
Investigators from the NTSB and the U.S. Coast Guard, and engineers from the U.S. Navy and Phoenix International, the operator of CURV-21, can be aboard USNS Apache when it departs in early July for the accident website close to the Bahamas.
The journey to the accident website is anticipated to take three to 4 days, adopted by 5 days on scene to get better the VDR. After the VDR is recovered and USNS Apache returns to shore, the VDR can be delivered to the NTSB laboratory in Washington, DC, the place investigators will study the VDR and obtain and analyze any data it might comprise.
