NTSB issues interim report on mexican Tall Ship crash into Brooklyn Bridge on May 17th 2025
c: NTsb
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published a preliminary report into an incident where the Mexican training navy ship Cuauhtémoc, which crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge in New York on 17 May, leaving two people dead.
On 17 May 2025, at 2024 eastern daylight time, the ARM Cuauhtémoc BE 01, a Mexican Navy tall ship with 277 crewmembers and cadets aboard, struck the Brooklyn Bridge after departing from Pier 17 in Manhattan on the East River in New York, New York, damaging all three of the ship’s masts. Two fatalities and nineteen injuries, ranging from minor to serious, occurred aboard the vessel; all injured personnel were evacuated and transported to local hospitals. The estimated damage is expected to exceed $500,000.
Accident events
On May 17, departure operations began around 2016. A sea pilot boarded the vessel at 1902, followed by a docking pilot at 1945. Both pilots conducted a master/pilot exchange with the captain, who reported no issues with propulsion or steering systems. The departure was timed with slack tide, expected at 2011, under clear weather with westerly winds of 10–15 knots, air temperature at 77°F, and water temperature at 60°F.
The captain and both pilots were positioned on the open conning deck above the navigation bridge. The docking pilot used the sea pilot’s portable pilot unit to navigate. Crew members were stationed in formation on the masts and bowsprit, with sails stowed. The vessel’s mooring lines were released at 2016, and the tugboat Charles D. McAllister began assisting around 2019.
Between 2020 and 2022, the Cuauhtémoc moved astern at approximately 2.5 knots. The docking pilot issued engine and tug orders, and by 2023, the vessel’s astern speed increased to 5.1 knots. The tug repositioned but could not prevent the ship from continuing backward. At 2024:42, the upper sections of all three masts contacted the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge, first the mizzen, then main, and finally the foremast, also striking the bridge’s no. 3 traveler. The vessel was traveling astern at about 5.9 knots at the time of impact.
Following the collision, the stern of the Cuauhtémoc struck a seawall on the Brooklyn side of the East River. The ship slid along the wall and came to rest around 2027. By 2028, the vessel moved off the wall and deployed both anchors between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. Emergency services arrived around 2030, transporting injured crew to local hospitals. Later that evening, the vessel was towed to Pier 36 in Manhattan.
Postaccident events & activities
Postcasualty examination of the vessel’s exterior above the waterline the following afternoon identified scraped paint along the port quarter. The rudder post was deformed, and the rudder was positioned perpendicular to the vessel toward the port side.
Inspectors from the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) assessed the damage to the Brooklyn Bridge. A preliminary assessment stated there was no significant structural damage to the bridge. The NYCDOT assessment identified impact points to the traveler rail and minor scrapes to the paint on a main bridge span.
From the top of the deck, no distortion of the traveler rails was noted. Inspectors observed a loss of paint and potential damage to the galvanized coating on the wires to a suspender cable near the impact location but no fraying or broken wires. The assessment also noted damage to the docking platform of the no. 3 traveler, traveler rails, and components adjacent to the drive machinery. The NYCDOT assessment also noted that the traveler was still hanging securely from the traveler rails.
NTSB investigators have interviewed crewmembers on watch aboard the Cuauhtémoc at the time of the accident, the two pilots, and the crew (captain and two deckhands) of the Charles D. McAllister. Both pilots and the captain from the tugboat were tested for alcohol and other drugs; all results were negative.
The Cuauhtémoc was towed to a local shipyard for repairs, examination, and documentation; NTSB investigators have been on board the vessel for a preliminary examination. The NTSB investigation of all aspects of the accident is ongoing; examining the propulsion system, operating control system, relevant crew experience and training, and operating policies and procedures.