Ethan Allen boating accident
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ethan Allen was a 40-foot, glass-enclosed tour boat operated by Shoreline Cruises on Lake George in upstate New York. On October 2, 2005, at 2:55 p.m., with 47 passengers–all from Michigan and Ohio and mostly seniors–aboard, the Ethan Allen capsized and sank just south of Cramer Point in the Town of Lake George. Twenty passengers died, and 27 survived.
Contents |
[edit] The accident
It was believed that the boat capsized due to waves caused by a larger cruise ship, the Mohican. However, tourists at a nearby camp reported that the Mohican passed by the area where the Ethan Allen sunk 20 minutes later. The boat had been raised by investigators. There was never any proof that the larger boat's wake caused the Ethan Allen to capsize
Weather was not a factor in this accident, as the skies were blue and the wind was calm. The 20 people that died are believed to have died from drowning, not hypothermia, as the water in the lake was 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The injured people were sent to Glens Falls Hospital via Hague, Warrensburg, North Warren, Moreau, and Lake George ambulances. The boat was carrying a tourist group, the Trenton Travelers, based out of Trenton, Michigan, including senior citizens from Michigan and Ohio.
[edit] Investigations
On October 3, the Ethan Allen was raised by investigators and brought to the Warren County Airport. By Friday, two of the survivors who returned to Michigan filed lawsuits for damages of $70,000 each. The following week, the Ethan Allen was returned to Lake George for a series of tests to determine what caused it to capsize. According to WRGB The Mohican was used during tests on 3 consecutive days. On October 15 it was confirmed that the Ethan Allen was making a sharp turn and that weight was a factor for the capsizing. The most shocking piece of information discovered was that the glass windows on the boat had acted like a box, trapping the passengers inside. However it was later established by the NTSB that there were no glass windows, that they are made of acrylic glass and fitted in a swing up frame. The frame attaches to the overhead. At the time of the accident they were swung up and out of the way. They remained in that position even with the boat sinking and were still up when the boat was recovered. Further reports showed that with the canopy installed the capacity rating of the boat was 14 people. There were 47 people on the boat the day of the incident. On November 4, the alcohol results came back from the toxicology center, and results showed that the captain of the Ethan Allen had been drinking several days prior to October 2 but that he did not drink alcohol on the day of the accident.
[edit] Official Report
On Friday February 3, 2006, the official police report for the Ethan Allen accident was released after a three-month delay. The report is 530 pages in three volumes, with all the information about the Ethan Allen. There are 84 pages written by survivors and 101 pages about police discussion. There has been much discussion other whether or not the Mohican did or did not pass the Ethan Allen, causing it to capsize. People around and on the lake at the time claim the Mohican had passed 20 minutes after the Ethan Allen had capsized. The pilot of the Ethan Allen, Richard Paris, stated:
- "I started to swing the bow of the boat to the right and immediately encountered stray waves from the wake of the Mohican that was going northbound. The entire boat then tipped to the left and just kept right on going."
Right after the accident there was feuding between Shoreline Cruises and Lake George Steamboat Co. Statements from Shoreline employees, including members of the Quirk family, which owns the company, show the Shoreline people believe that waves created by the Steamboat Companies' Mohican caused trouble for the Shoreline. Former Steamboat Co. employees (and passengers) claim that they have witnessed the Mohican swamping other boats on the lake in the past.
There were multiple reports by people near and around the lake of several other boats being in the vicinity. Reports from some people at local campsites claim that a speed boat had passed by, while others claim the lake was calm. Warren County Police did not confirm whether or not there were other boats around the Ethan Allen. Regardless of the actions or locations of other crafts, the report concluded that the Ethan Allen incident was not a crime.
[edit] NTSB report
On July 25, 2006, the final report for the Ethan Allen boating accident was released by The National Transportation Safety Board. The Ethan Allen had capsized as a result of insufficient stability. The US Coast Guard was responsible for the original certification of the vessel, then called the Double Dolphin. It was thought that the original certification of 48 was allowed due different test standards applied in 1966, passenger weight difference was not responsible for those differences.
When the owner of the Double Dolphin fitted the boat with an elaborate pipe structure and canvas top the center of gravity was raised and more importantly the projected side area vastly increased. The boat continued to be inspected and certified by the USCG for 48 persons. They should have performed another test. According to the NTSB Naval Architect, Rob Henry, if that test had been performed the boat would not have been certified to carry ANY passengers due to insufficient stability to the load of the wind heel. So from a rating of 48 passengers it would have been 0.
Many years later in the mid 70's the boat along with 2 other sister vessels were sold after a company insolvency to Shoreline Cruises, Lake George NY. The US Coast Guard certificates were at that point still current and valid. NY state vessel regulators were given those certificates and based on the US Coast officially stating (incorrectly) that the boat had sufficient reserve stability to safely carry 48 passengers and 2 crew. NY regulators then give the boat the same rating. In 1989 when the owner had a hard (wood and fiberglass) top installed to replace the pipe structure canopy it was determined that its lower height more than compensated for its slightly greater weight and vessel stability was increased to the point that passenger loading would have gone from 0 with the former top to 14 passengers. Because of the increase of stability, NY state regulators did not require a new stability test of the vessel, and the rating continued at 50.
The capsizing occurred due to a series of events according to the NTSB. The total load was over 3 times greater than it should been, the pilot made a hard turn to the right at speed, the seating arrangement put 3 people on the left versus 2 on the right, giving a permanent 2 degree list to port, the bench seats had no way of stopping involuntary sliding, so the centrifugal force of the hard turn caused involuntary movement of the passengers to the port. That movement increased the list to port and the increased list caused more sliding. Within seconds the center of gravity was no longer over the hull and the boat rolled over.
It was also confirmed that the number of passengers (48) was too many and that the boat (based upon today's average American's weight) was only capable of carrying 14 passengers.
[edit] Memorial
On February 1, 2006, a service to community ceremony was held at the Glens Falls Civic Center to recognize the people, including paid professionals, volunteers, and citizens, who stepped up in a time of need to help during this tragic accident. The names of all 20 people who died that day were read. An estimated 600 people attended the ceremony. Lake George Village Mayor Robert M. Blais said that plans are in the works for a memorial to recognize the victims and the survivors sometime around the one-year anniversary of the accident, October 2, 2006.
