NTSB Issues Update on El Faro Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board has contracted with the U.S. Navy to locate the El Faro, document the wreckage and debris field and recover the voyage data recorder (VDR). Below is an update of recent activities.
 

The Curve 21 remote operated vehicle (ROV) was used to confirm that the vessel found was the El Faro. The ROV documented both the port and starboard sides of the vessel. The vessel is oriented in an upright position with the stern buried in approximately 30 feet of sediment.

The navigation bridge and the deck below have separated from the vessel and have not been located. The voyage data recorder has not been located. The team has reviewed sonar scans of the nearby debris field and has not identified any targets that have a high probability of being the missing navigation bridge structure.

Future plans are to redeploy the Orion side scan sonar system to generate a map of the debris field to locate the navigation bridge structure.