NTSB to Issue Probable Cause of El Faro’s Sinking

This undated image made from a video and released Tuesday, April 26, 2016, by the National Transportation Safety Board shows the stern of the sunken ship El Faro. (National Transportation Safety Board via AP)

WASHINGTON – Federal accident investigators are set to determine the probable cause of the sinking of the cargo ship El Faro in 2015, the worst maritime disaster for a U.S.-flagged vessel in decades in which 33 mariners were killed.

The National Transportation Safety Board will meet Tuesday to issue more than 50 safety recommendations related to the loss of the 790-foot-long (240-meter) ship on Oct. 1, 2015.

The El Faro sank 34 hours after leaving Jacksonville, Florida, on a cargo run to Puerto Rico. The freighter lost propulsion while sailing through Hurricane Joaquin, coming to rest 15,000-feet (4,570 meters) on the sea floor.

The NTSB says it will address problems with weather forecasting, management of the ship, the suitability of the ship’s lifeboats and the oversight of the vessel by its owner, TOTE Maritime, Inc.

Massachusetts Maritime Academy graduates Keith Griffin and Jeffrey Mathias were among those onboard. 

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