JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) released information about the St. Johns River Ferry ‘Jean Ribault’ incident after it collided with the boarding ramp when leaving Mayport Landing on May 4.
According to JTA, the ferry was attempting to depart northbound at 6:33 p.m. when it struck the Gantry dock.
Action News Jax told you in May when the ferry service was temporarily out of service.
Seven customer vehicles were aboard the ferry. There were no reported injuries by the crew or customers.
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The incident resulted in major damage to the Gantry bridge and minimal damage to the vessel.
The collision also led to a service interruption of 39 days and a repair cost of approximately $670,000.
After a thorough investigation, JTA says the primary cause of the collision was due to human error on the part of Captain Baldwin.
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The investigation revealed no mechanical breakdown or failure despite prior problems with the B-side throttle.
Captain Baldwin reportedly testified that he believed he properly engaged the B console controls from Mayport.
Based on the investigation, Captain Baldwin didn’t check to make sure the B throttle indicator light was still lit, and instead decided to check for A throttle response by withdrawing power on the A engine.
Weather and employee fatigue were not a factor in the collision.
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