ANDREW J BARBERI

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Faulty valve caused allision in 2010

A faulty valve caused the accident of the "Andrew J. Barberi" that injured several people and caused damage two years ago, National Transportation Safety Board investigators said on Apr 24, 2012. The malfunction caused the pilot to lose control of one of the vessel's two propellers as it approached Staten Island on May 8, 2010. The vessel slammed into a pier when the pilot couldn't get the ferry to slow down. Out of the 266 passengers and crew aboard the ferry, three were seriously injured and more than 40 reported minor injuries. Eleven people died when the same ferry crashed into the same pier in 2003 after its pilot passed out at the wheel. The New York City Department of Transportation showed a renewed commitment to safety after that accident and "implemented an industry-leading safety-management system." The ferry experienced an unanticipated and unusual failure in its propulsion system. The investigation showed positive safety improvements following the 2003 accident. The five-member NTSB board approved investigators' report on the crash at a meeting today in Washington. NTSB staff members said the Barberi was not equipped with an alarm system that might have warned crew members that the propeller was stuck and was not responding to controls. The board recommended that passenger vessels with similar propulsion systems be equipped with such alarms. The board also recommended that passenger vessels implement safety management systems such as the one that was in place at the Staten Island Ferry in 2010.

ANDREW J BARBERI 7702762

The "Andrew J. Barberi" which injured 48 people when it slammed into a pier at the St. George Ferry Terminal on May 8th, 2010, resumed its normal route between Staten Island and Manhattan on June 20. The ship's re-launch flew mostly under the radar. The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed the vessel's propulsion system didn't respond properly on May 8th. The defective parts were replaced, and the system is now working properly.