# NTSB: Wreckage Believed to be Missing Ship El Faro Found



## Geoff Gower (Sep 8, 2011)

A search team on board a U.S. Navy tug has found what they believe is the wreckage of the missing American cargo ship El Faro in the search area off the Bahamas, the NTSB said in an update late Saturday. The vessel was located at a depth of about 15,000 feet in the vicinity of the last known position. The NTSB said the target identified is consistent with a 790-foot cargo ship, which from sonar images appears to be in an upright position and in one piece. 
The El Faro and its 33 crew members have been missing since the ship sank in Hurricane Joaquin on October 1, 2015. Its last known position was approximately 36 miles northeast off Crooked Island.
The NTSB update on Saturday said sophisticated sonar equipment towed by the contracted tug USNS Apache first detected what are believed to be images of the vessel using side-scan sonar at about 1:36 pm ET on October 31 during the fifth of 13 planned search line surveys. WE confirm the finding, specialists on Apache will use a deep ocean remotely operated vehicle to survey and confirm the identity of the wreckage, the NTSB said. The survey could begin as soon as Sunday, November 1. If the vessel is confirmed to be the missing El Faro, the ROV will be outfitted with a video camera and will start the do***entation of the vessel. This will include the debris field and attempt to locate and recover the voyage data recorder. Those operations are expected to take up to 15 days to complete in ideal conditions but could take longer depending on weather and conditions encountered during the do***entation process, the NTSB said. 
The USNS Apache has been on scene searching for El Faro since October 23.


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## litz (Aug 20, 2012)

15,000 feet is difficult, but by no means the impossible task it once was ... hopefully they can determine what happened.


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## litz (Aug 20, 2012)

El Faro confirmed found today, via: NTSB/US Navy


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## bobnightingale1 (Jul 15, 2015)

A sad day to all of us who love the sea..


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## tsell (Apr 29, 2008)

I think that she's at about the same depth as the SS Gairsoppa from which oodles of silver was recovered?
Hopefully they'll return the deceased to their loved ones, depending on the passage of time.

Taff


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## litz (Aug 20, 2012)

http://gcaptain.com/ntsb-el-faro-navigation-bridge-missing-no-vdr-found/

That had to be some ungodly stresses to separate the bridge structures from the rest of the ship.

It's worth noting that the reason the VDR has not been found is because it's contained within the missing bridge structures ... not that it's been found separately missing.

If they can locate the missing structure, there is still a hope it can be located.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

I am sure that this will have occurred after the vessel had sunk, on her way down and not implicated in primary casualty.

It would, however, be interesting to know if she had had a deck added to accommodate higher container stacks.


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## Geoff Gower (Sep 8, 2011)

*Update 4/10/15:- El Faro Wreck Missing Bridge and Voyage Data Recorder*

A major disappointment announced today in the investigation into the El Faro sinking with the NTSB now saying that the wreck of the ship was discovered with the navigation bridge missing and no sign of the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR). A salvage team onboard the contracted U.S. Navy tug Apache has been using the Curve 21 remotely operated vehicle to confirm and do***ent the wreckage initially found Saturday off the Bahamas at a depth of 15,000 feet was in fact the missing El Faro. In do***enting the wreckage and debris field, the NTSB now reports that the navigation bridge and the deck below have separated from the vessel and have not been located. The VDR is also missing, potentially a huge setback considering the key piece of equipment may hold clues about what happened in the final moments after the ship lost contact October 1 during Hurricane Joaquin. The NTSB says the team has also reviewed sonar scans of a nearby debris field and has not identified any targets that have a high probability of being the missing navigation bridge structure, which would have housed the VDR. “Future plans are to redeploy the Orion side scan sonar system to generate a map of the debris field to locate the navigation bridge structure,” the NTSB said in its update. The update added that the ROV do***ented both the port and starboard sides of the vessel, confirming that vessel is oriented in an upright position with the stern buried in approximately 30 feet of sediment.


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## litz (Aug 20, 2012)

I wonder if they find the bridge structure intact if the smaller size of that structure would make them consider raising it intact, instead of trying to investigate via ROV ...


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## steamer659 (Mar 18, 2009)

My personal opinion is that the Nav Bridge is, although not intact, in it's original location- imploded... Wheelhouses, upper tier superstructures, and superstructures of this era were generally constructed of 1/4" or 5/16" plating sometimes even 3/8", stiffened vertically with equal leg angle stiffeners usually on 24" spacing nd generally the same or heavier thickness. The underdeck stiffening would generally be between 1/4" and 3/8" flat bar also on 24" centers, with 1/4" or 5/16" plating...

ALSO- I would adamantly disagree about the disturbance or attempted recovery of any remain, this is a grave, an with exception to investigatory actions should remain left alone...


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## billshaver (Sep 2, 2015)

Still no word on their findings...what about the one person who made it intoa surviavl suit...have they id'd that person....


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## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

They left the body in the survival suite in the ocean. The helo continued to look for survivors so didn't take it onboard incase they had to load up with the living. Unfortunately we know there were none. Very controversial subject here at the time. Very sad


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## billshaver (Sep 2, 2015)

to bad ...yes understand why.... but still thought they would have picked it up...from id'ing that person they possible could have made some sensibility of what happened, that along with the bridg being blown off the ship...yes it was a violent end no doubt....


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## steamer659 (Mar 18, 2009)

Yep, phoned an old friend yesterday. The wheelhouse was extensively 3/8" plating and stiffened on 18" centers, pretty hard to carry away such a structure, although we can't be certain, it seems highly unlikely that the whole wheelhouse and structure was carried away- I still think it's an implosion..


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## litz (Aug 20, 2012)

Well, the mystery of the missing bridge has been answered ...

http://gcaptain.com/el-faros-missing-bridge-found/

Apparently the structure sheared off at the deck underneath ...


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## steamer659 (Mar 18, 2009)

Let's wait and see the pics and reports, the NTSB has reported nothing about finding a wheelhouse... AGAIN, from this NA-ME's opinion, very unlikely. Possible, but improbable.

http://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/PR20151103a.aspx


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## litz (Aug 20, 2012)

The report was pretty specific that the bridge + the deck underneath were positively identified.

However, there have (to date) been zero pictures released either of the main wreck, or this reported secondary finding.


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## litz (Aug 20, 2012)

http://gcaptain.com/ntsb-abandons-search-for-el-faros-missing-voyage-data-recorder/


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

I am not sure that will be that much of a loss. This would have been an SVDR not a full VDR due to the date of build. The requirement then is for recording only of a small amount of compulsory information. Information from other systems is only required from those with 'terminals'/Panels on the bridge and which also lend themselves to interfacing with modern electronics. That would not have been much on a vessel of this age.

The conversations on the bridge and voice comms would have been recorded but this is not a collision where we seek out a conning error as a cause. In this case I fear it would have just been an almost ghoulish/prurient interest. Certainly not for publication even if recovered.


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