Black Box Recording: Collision Course

As tugboats rushed to the aid of the crippled Bright Field freighter, river pilot Ted Davisson warned of danger as the giant ship lost power and veered left. The radio calls from 'Governor Nick' and 'Gretna' are from two Coast Guard radio stations that monitor river traffic. The Bright Field's radio designation is '70'. The images are from Coast Guard radar.

Elapsed Time:

0:00 The first radio call as the Bright Field passes under the Crescent City connection.

Davisson: 70 to Governor Nick. I just lost my engine. Alert everyone in the harbor to watch out.

Gov. Nick: OK. You want me to get some tugs?

0:05 Davisson: Roger, roger.

0:10 Gov. Nick: Governor Nick to everyone around Algiers Point…the tour boats that just called me, Fella lost his engine. He's coming down on the bridge.

0:25 Davisson: Gov. Nick, I'm gonna hit those…I'm gonna hit that damn cruise ship. Call 'em or do something.

0:30 The crippled ship emerges from under the bridge.

Unknown (either a call to or from the tugboat Louisiana): Louisiana, southbound ship at the bridge.

0:35 Davisson: Gov. Nick, call 'em or do something. I'm a'going right for 'em.

0:40 Gretna: Come in '70.

Davisson: 70

0:45 Gretna: You got the Louisiana coming at you, right off your stern.

0:50 Davisson: OK. Warn…warn, warn the gambling boat I'm coming right for 'em.

Gov. Nick: Getting them on the phone now, cap.

0:55 Gov. Nick: Gov. Nick to Creole Queen (the tour boat was upriver bound, rounding Algiers Point on the West Bank)

Creole Queen: I gotcha, Mike.

Gov. Nick: Al, alert everybody around there.

1:00 The Bright Field veers left toward the Riverwalk.

1:30 Davisson radios, This looks bad.

1:40 Davisson: Gov. Nick, this looks bad…

1:50 Davisson: Tell those people to get out of the way. Tell those people to get out of the way.

1:55 Davisson: Tell those people to get away! There's people on the dock! Tell 'em to get away!

2:00 The Bright Field narrowly misses cruise ship.

2:25 Davisson: Tell those people to get away.

2:30 The ship strikes Riverwalk as tugboat gives chase.

2:40 Gov. Nick: Flamingo?…Ken, you see that ship?

2:45 Unknown person: Roger, roger.

3:00 The Bright Field stops just short of the Flamingo.

3:15 Unknown person: Chris, you see this?

3:30 Davisson: Get over here quick.

4:00 Unknown person: Come in, Brian. He (Davisson) ain't talking to nobody right now, man. He's got a…he ate the dock up.

4:05 Another unknown person: The hotel collapsed, man, he got…the hotel that fell off. Ah, Jesus. They got a mess here.

4:10 Davisson: Get some tugs over here right now.