NTSB: Phone use, lack of lookouts led to 2024 Houston Ship Channel collision

LYNCHBURG, Texas - A long phone call and a lack of lookouts are said to be the cause of the deadly 2024 collision in the Houston Ship Channel.

2024 Houston Ship Channel collision

The backstory:

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, a bulk carrier, the Yangze 7, and a towing vessel, the Miss Peggy, collided into one another while they were in the Houston Ship Channel near Lynchburg.

The Miss Peggy overturned and sank. Four of the five crewmembers were rescued with serious injuries, and a fifth member was found deceased.

What they're saying:

The NTSB says the pilot directing the Yangze 7 was on a "non-operational phone call" for nearly 40 minutes with another pilot on another vessel.

The pilot reportedly ended the call around two minutes before the collision. Officials say the call distracted the pilot from seeing the Miss Peggy.

It was also determined that neither vessel involved in the collision had a proper lookout while they were traveling.

"The captain of the Miss Peggy did not detect the Yangze 7 approaching from astern, and the bridge team of the Yangze 7 did not detect the Miss Peggy until the towboat was less than a ship's length ahead," the report reads. "Regulations and long-standing prudent maritime practice require a proper lookout, by all available means, for safe navigation."

What's next:

The NTSB made two recommendations regarding the alleged cell phone use.

1. It's suggested that the US Coast Guard prohibits "nonoperational use" of personal devices by those who are directing a vessel.
2. The American Pilots' Association is advised to create rules regarding pilots' personal devices and to encourage their member associations to adopt those rules as policy.