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Another mission needed to recover El Faro VDR

The US’ National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) says another mission will be needed to recover the voyage data recorder (VDR) from the sunken wreck of the El Faro.

Marcus Hand, Editor

April 28, 2016

1 Min Read
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NTSB said the location of the VDR close to the mast and other obstructions meant it could be recovered using equipment on the current vessel that was used in the search for the recorder.

“Now that we have been able to see just how the VDR is oriented relative to the mast structure, it’s clear that we’re going to need specialized deep-water salvage recovery equipment in order to bring it up,” said Brian Curtis, Acting Director of the NTSB Office of Marine Safety. “Extracting a recorder capsule attached to a four-ton mast under 15,000 feet of water presents formidable challenges, but we’re going to do everything that is technically feasible to get that recorder into our lab.”

The VDR was located early on Tuesday morning. The El Faro sank on 1 October 2015 off the Bahamas with 33 crew onboard, during Hurricane Joaquin. Only one body was recovered by rescuers.

About the Author

Marcus Hand

Editor

Marcus Hand is the editor of Seatrade Maritime News and a dedicated maritime journalist with over two decades of experience covering the shipping industry in Asia.

Marcus is also an experienced industry commentator and has chaired many conferences and round tables. Before joining Seatrade at the beginning of 2010, Marcus worked for the shipping industry journal Lloyd's List for a decade and before that the Singapore Business Times covering shipping and aviation.

In November 2022, Marcus was announced as a member of the Board of Advisors to the Singapore Journal of Maritime Talent and Technology (SJMTT) to help bring together thought leadership around the key areas of talent and technology.

Marcus is the founder of the Seatrade Maritime Podcast that delivers commentary, opinions and conversations on shipping's most important topics.

Conferences & Webinars

Marcus Hand regularly moderates at international maritime events. Below you’ll find a list of selected past conferences and webinars.

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