A National Transportation Safety Board investigation has determined that the front two engines on the Andrew J. Barbieri ferry, which crashed into a dock and injured 37 on Saturday, stopped upon impact while the rear two continued to operate. However, interviews with the crew reveal there were no alarms or signals indicating there was anything wrong with the engines. "All conditions concerning the engines were normal prior to the accident," NTSB member Robert Sumwalt told 1010WINS.
So far, alcohol tests performed on the crew have come back negative, and drug tests are currently being evaluated. The Barbieri's 2003 crash, which killed 11, was caused when the pilot passed out at the wheel while on painkillers. The boat had hit the dock at full speed, but has since undergone a multi-million dollar renovation and passed inspections all through 2009. The NTSB is waiting to meet with representatives of the company that designed the ship's propeller. Sumwalt said, “At this point in the investigation, we’re not ruling anything out; everything is on the table."
Both tourists and commuters are back riding the ferry—with Paterson's blessing—but are still worried about another possible accident. “There’s definitely a little apprehension,” passenger Nikita Persaud told the Times. “Shouldn’t this be monitored? My parents take the ferry every day." Perhaps their worries would be quelled if Mayor Bloomberg had made an appearance, but he was off on one of his Bermuda weekends. A spokesman told Daily Politics Bloomberg was "monitoring the city response," and that last July's crash had been handled just fine without him having to make a personal appearance.
