Rocketship

Kentucky transportation officials are suing the crew of a the "Delta Mariner" that allided with a a bridge over the Tennessee River in Western Kentucky more than two year ago. The State Transportation Cabinet moved a lawsuit to the federal court this week that it spent at least $7 million to repair the Eggner's Ferry Bridge after the "Delta Mariner" struck it on Jan 26, 2012. The cabinet's lawsuit said the ship's crew ignored warnings from the U.S. Coast Guard about the bridge's navigation lights being out.

The National Transportation Safety Board revealed what caused the "Delta Mariner" to slam into the Eggner's Ferry Bridge near Aurora on Jan 26, 2012. The incident was the subject of part of a board meeting in the morning of May 14 in Washington D.C. When the "Delta Mariner" ran into the bridge, a 322-foot section of the span collapsed. Federal investigators have concluded that the crew of the cargo ship ignored radioed and visual warnings about lights being out on a bridge. The crew of the "Delta Mariner" used only visual cues and went under the wrong span of the Eggner's Ferry Bridge. Investigators also concluded that white warning lights on the bridge had been out for several years and other lights shorted out before the allision.

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public hearing about the collapse of a western Kentucky bridge over the Tennessee River after the "Delta Mariner" struck it. The board is scheduled to meet on May 14 in Washington, D.C. to discuss the Jan. 26, 2012 allision near Aurora when the "Delta Mariner" ran into the Eggner's Ferry Bridge, causing a 322-foot section of the span to fall into the river. Kentucky officials are seeking $7.1 million in damages from the company that operated the cargo ship. The ship's owner, the Seattle-based Foss Maritime, asked a federal judge to dismiss a total of $7.8 million in claims against it.