NTSB: Duck boat in Seattle crash didn't have recommended fix

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By GENE JOHNSON

SEATTLE (AP) — A Seattle duck boat that swerved wildly into an oncoming charter bus last week, killing five people and injuring dozens, did not have an axle repair that was recommended for at least some of the amphibious vehicles in 2013, the National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday.

Ride the Ducks International, which refurbished the boat in 2005, issued a warning to its customers two years ago about potential axle failure and recommended a specific repair or increased monitoring, NTSB member Earl Weener said.

"This particular duck had not had the fix," he told a news conference.

Witnesses described seeing the duck boat's left front tire lock up before it veered into the bus on the Aurora Bridge, and federal investigators announced Saturday that they found the duck boat's left front axle sheared off — though they said it wasn't clear if the axle had broken before or after the collision.

FULL story at link.



Seattle Police officers photograph the front tire and wheel of a "Ride the Ducks" tourist vehicle before the bus is loaded onto a flatbed tow truck Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, after it was involved in a fatal crash with a charter passenger bus earlier in the day in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/8cb55af47c664858be1dd92b498fe145/feds-plan-briefing-deadly-seattle-duck-boat-crash

[Sunlei]

1. I don't think those should be street legal

[Sherman A1]

2. Why not?

It is simply a 2 ton truck that has been modified to float and operate in the water. Yes, they are large, but if properly driven and maintained (and it appears this one was not) there really should not be any problems.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DUKW

[bluetexas]

3. They were all made between 1942–1945

They belong in museums or in scrap yards.

[Sherman A1]

4. I believe that we will have to agree

to disagree on this point. If properly maintained and operated their is no reason that they cannot function safely.

[WestSeattle2]

5. These vehicles are operated in heavily congested

urban areas. The drivers sit far back from the front of the vehicle, making it difficult to see directly in front of the vehicles (though cameras have been added to some); are expected to drive, be tour guides and entertain passengers simultaneously. Not exactly a prescription for safety.

It sounds like negligence in regards to safety directives, may be involved with this accident. The combination of a catastrophic failure and a driver who MAY have been distracted, is a recipe for disaster.

[yellowcanine]

6. Agree. These are not roadworthy vehicles and should not be on public highways.

Driving around parks at low speeds where there is little traffic - okay if there is a dedicated driver and the appropriate safety upgrades - but still not appropriate for heavy urban traffic.