STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
The video's pretty wild, but we don't know why a Mexican navy ship crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night. WNYC's Giulia Heyward reports on the federal investigation.
GIULIA HEYWARD, BYLINE: On Monday, federal investigators said that they plan to focus the probe on three things - the crew, the vessel and the environment, which includes the weather, wind, current and the tide on the night the crash occurred. Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board stressed that the investigation will take time, and they did not provide any answers on what may have caused the bridge strike. NTSB board member Michael Graham said at a press conference on Monday that the investigation will require talking to the ship's captain and crew.
(SOUNDBITE OF PRESS CONFERENCE)
MICHAEL GRAHAM: We are currently working with our counterparts with the Mexican government to gain access to the ship. We are optimistic that we will have that access very soon.
HEYWARD: The crash took place just minutes after the ship left the pier where it had been docked. Two members of the ship's crew died while more than 20 others sustained injuries. The Mexican navy ship had been traveling through New York City as part of a global goodwill tour. Brian Young, who is the NTSB's investigator in charge, said that the probe will also look into the tugboat used to help the ship leave the dock before it hit the bridge.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BRIAN YOUNG: As far as we know at this time, the tugboat had assisted the vessel moving off the pier. 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.
HEYWARD: The ship is currently docked on Manhattan's East Side, where some of the international crew are still living. The Mexican navy says more than 170 crew members have been flown back to Mexico. And a memorial has already been set up near the Brooklyn Bridge in memory of those who passed away and sustained those injuries.
For NPR News, I'm Giulia Heyward in New York City. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.