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Minutes after departure, a deadly collision: Feds investigate Brooklyn Bridge crash
By
Andrew Giambrone
,
Ramsey Khalifeh
and
Giulia Heyward
Published May 19, 2025
Modified May 19, 2025
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Giulia Heyward/Gothamist
By
Andrew Giambrone
,
Ramsey Khalifeh
and
Giulia Heyward
Published May 19, 2025
Modified May 19, 2025
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It took just under five minutes for the Mexican Navy’s tall ship to crash into the Brooklyn Bridge after departing its Manhattan dock Saturday evening, federal investigators said Monday. Two crew members were killed and more than 20 others were injured.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday it had dispatched a team to New York City to examine the incident. The team includes specialists in nautical operations, marine and bridge engineering and survival factors. But investigators said Monday they have not yet interviewed the ship’s captain or other crew members.
Brian Young, the NTSB’s investigator in charge, said the vessel arrived on May 13 around noon and docked at Pier 17. It remained there for several days before departing at 8:20 p.m. on May 17 with the assistance of a tugboat, intending to sail down the East River and out to sea. Less than five minutes later, around 8:24 p.m., the ship’s mast struck the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge, officials said.
Young described the conditions at the time as dusk, with westerly winds around 10 knots and a current of about 0.3 knots flowing toward the bridge. As the ship departed, its stern began to accelerate, reaching speeds up to six knots.
Investigators are still reviewing the tugboat’s role in the departure.
“As far as we know at this time, the tugboat had assisted the vessel moving off the pier,” Young said. “Part of our investigation will be to look into the tugboat’s policies and procedures for the operation, once helping the vessel get off the pier, what its guidance would be and what job it would have to do.”
Flowers and flags are displayed at a memorial for the victims of the Mexican Navy ship strike into the Brooklyn Bridge in Lower Manhattan on May 19, 2025.
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
The collision, which involved the training ship Cuauhtémoc, was captured in multiple videos posted on social media. They showed the vessel’s roughly 147-foot-tall masts striking the underside of the bridge, snapping upon impact. Crew members, some of whom were harnessed to the masts as part of a traditional performance held during port entries and departures, were seen dangling from ropes after the crash.
The Cuauhtémoc was carrying 277 sailors at the time, according to the Mexican government. The ship, which launched in 1982, serves as a diplomatic vessel and has completed four worldwide tours. Its name means “Descending Eagle,” a reference to the last emperor of the Aztec empire.
People visit a memorial set up for the victims of the Brooklyn Bridge ship strike under the Brooklyn side of the bridge on May 18, 2025.
Brittany Kriegstein / Gothamist
City officials said the 142-year-old Brooklyn Bridge did not suffer structural damage. They believe the vessel lost power after leaving the dock and drifted toward the bridge. It was later moved to Pier 36 in Lower Manhattan, pending further investigation.
“We are working with our counterparts in the Mexican government to gain access to the ship,” said Michael Graham, an NTSB board member.
He added, “We are optimistic that we will have that access very soon."
Graham said the agency’s general counsel was coordinating with the ship’s owners and agents, and that discussions were underway about relocating the vessel to a salvage yard. He said investigators will focus on three main areas: the crew and its operations, the condition of the vessel and the surrounding environment, including weather, wind, current and tide.
Young added that the ship is currently docked on the East Side of Manhattan with the crew still living aboard. He said officials will assess whether it’s structurally sound before it can be moved.
By Sunday evening, members of the public had set up a memorial to the victims along the Brooklyn waterfront near the bridge. The Mexican Navy said more than 170 crew members had been flown back to Mexico by early Monday, while two others remained in stable condition in New York.
Graham said the NTSB expects to release a preliminary report within 30 days.
This story has been updated with new information.
Tagged
brooklyn bridge
new york city
public safety
manhattan
brooklyn
east river
transportation
Andrew Giambrone
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Ramsey Khalifeh
Ramsey Khalifeh is a transportation reporter on the NYC Accountability desk covering the largest transit system in the country. He was previously a general assignment reporter at Gothamist and worked on the Boston Globe's metro and copy desk. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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