HONOLULU (KHON2) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined the cause of 2020s toppled Young Brothers cargo containers in waters off the Big Island.
An investigation found that numerous factors caused the accident, including the company did not provide the barge team with an initial load barge plan.
There were inadequate procedures for monitoring stack weights, according to the NTSB, which led to heavier containers being stacked onto lighter ones on the row that toppled over.
A total of 50 40-foot containers stacked on a barge toppled over on June 22, 2020. A total of 21 containers fell into the ocean and only eight were recovered.
The crew of the barge was tested for alcohol and drugs, according to NTSB officials, and all test results came back negative.
Young Brothers, LLC released a statement to KHON2:
“Young Brothers is proud of our record of safely and reliably transporting what matters most to Hawai‘i. We have implemented enhanced safety measures since our first loss of containers overboard in more than 20 years. We are carefully reviewing the report and considering the appropriate next steps.”
Young Brothers, LLC
Officials say, cargo loss was estimated at $1.5 million and damage to the barge and containers was estimated at $131,000.
