Recent Maritime and Aviation Safety Incidents Investigated

Mexico is mourning the deaths of two Navy cadets, América Sánchez, 20, and Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos, 23, who were killed when the Mexican Navy's tall ship ARM Cuauhtémoc crashed into Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday. The ship was on a training mission with 277 crew members on board when its three masts snapped after hitting the bridge, injuring 22 others, three critically. The investigation into the accident is ongoing, with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) saying it will not speculate on the cause. The bodies of the two cadets are being repatriated to Mexico, where they will be honored with ceremonies. The Mexican Navy has promised "total transparency and responsibility" in the investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) provided its first update on the investigation into the Mexican Navy training ship Cuauhtémoc's crash into the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday. The ship, carrying 277 people, killed two and injured 22 others. The NTSB is still waiting for permission from the Mexican government to access the ship, which remains docked at Pier 36. Investigators will examine whether wind and tide played a role in the crash, and review the ship's engine status, inspections, and electronic data. The ship departed Pier 17 with a tugboat and increased its speed just before the crash. A preliminary report is expected in about 30 days. The Brooklyn Bridge has been deemed structurally safe. The victims were identified as 20-year-old cadet América Yamilet Sánchez and Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos.

A Mexican naval ship, the Cuauhtémoc, accelerated suddenly in the wrong direction before crashing into the Brooklyn Bridge, killing two crew members and injuring 22 others. The ship was traveling at 2.3 knots initially but increased its speed to six knots before hitting the bridge less than five minutes after leaving a Lower Manhattan pier. The cause of the sudden acceleration is unclear, and investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board will examine the incident, which could take up to two years to complete. The ship had 277 people on board and was on a good-will tour from Acapulco, with its next scheduled stop to be Reykjavík, Iceland.

A Lufthansa Airbus A321 flew for about 10 minutes without a pilot on February 17, 2024, when the co-pilot became incapacitated due to a neurological condition while the captain was outside the cockpit. The captain was unable to re-enter the cockpit initially because the door can only be opened from the inside, but eventually gained access using an emergency code. The co-pilot was given first aid and the flight was diverted to Madrid's Adolfo Suárez Madrid Barajas Airport, where it landed safely. The co-pilot's medical certificate was later suspended due to the condition, which was not detectable through standard medical screenings unless symptoms were present.

A Lufthansa Airbus A321 flight from Frankfurt to Seville flew for over 10 minutes without a conscious pilot after the copilot fainted in the cockpit while the captain was out. The autopilot was engaged, allowing the plane to continue flying steadily with 199 passengers and six crew members on board. The captain returned to the cockpit after eight minutes to find the copilot ill and took control of the plane, diverting it to Madrid where it landed safely, and the copilot was hospitalized and diagnosed with a previously undetected neurological condition.