NTSB interviews Duck boat captain, deckhand
With a 250-foot barge 400 yards away and heading toward his stranded Duck boat, the captain of the Ride the Ducks boat made a radio call for the barge to change course and tried blowing an air horn.
With a 250-foot barge 400 yards away and heading toward his stranded Duck boat, the captain of the Ride the Ducks boat made a radio call for the barge to change course and tried blowing an air horn.
But no one responded to his distress call and the air horn didn't work, according to the captain's interview with the NTSB.
The NTSB said last night that it inspected the Duck boat pulled from the Delaware River yesterday, and interviewed both the boat's 58-year-old captain and 18-year-old deckhand. It also interviewed 16 passengers.
The captain told investigators that he inspected his boat before the voyage and all checked out, including the air horn.
The first inkling of trouble, the captain told the NTSB, was when he noticed white smoke. He shut down the engine. The NTSB's initial inspection didn't find charring in the engine compartment nor any visible smoke damage.
The NTSB plans today to interview crew members from the tug boat that was pushing the barge.
- Christine Olley