Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2015 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== (note: while some formatting changes were necessary to transcribe this document the content remains entirely as written in the official report.) [cover] DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION COAST GUARD MARINE CASUALTY REPORT SS EDMUND FITZGERALD; SINKING IN LAKE SUPERIOR ON NOVEMBER 10 1975 WITH LOSS OF LIFE U.S. COAST GUARD MARINE BOARD OF INVESTIGATION REPORT AND COMMANDANT'S ACTION REPORT NO. USCG 16732/64216 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- TECHNICAL REPORT STANDARD TITLE PAGE |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1. Report No. | 2. Government Accession No. | 3. Recipient's | | | | Catalog No. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4. Title and Subtitle Marine Board Casualty Report| 5. Report Date | | SS EDMUND FITZGERALD Sinking in Lake Superior on | 26 July 1977 | | 10 November 1975 With Loss of Life |------------------| |-----------------------------------------------------| 6. Performing | | 7. Author(s) | Organization | | | Code | |-----------------------------------------------------| G-MMI-1/83 | | 9. Performing Organization Name and Address |------------------| | U.S. Coast Guard |10. Work Unit No. | | Washington, D. C. 20590 |------------------| | |11. Contract or | |-----------------------------------------------------| Grant No. | | 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address |------------------| | Commandant (G-MMI-1) |13. Type of Report| | U. S. Coast Guard | and Period | | Washington, D. C. 20590 | Covered | | | Marine Casualty | |-----------------------------------------------------| Report | | 15. Supplementary Notes |------------------| | |14. Sponsoring | | | Agency Code | |-----------------------------------------------------|------------------| | 16. Abstract - On the evening of 10 November 1975, the SS EDMUND | | FITZGERALD, while in a severe storm, with a full cargo of taconite | | pellets, sank in eastern Lake Superior at 44° 59.9' N, 85° 06.6W, | | approximately 17 miles from the entrance to Whitefish Bay, Michi- | | gan. All of the 29 crewmen on board at the time of the casualty | | are missing and presumed dead. | | | | This report contains the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investi- | | gation report and the Action taken by the Commandant to determine | | the probable cause of the casualty and the recommendations to pre- | | vent recurrence. | | | | The Commandant concurred with the Marine Board that the most | | probable cause of the sinking was the loss of buoyancy resulting | | from massive flooding of the cargo hold. This flooding most likely| | took place through ineffective hatch closures. The vessel dove | | into a wall of water and never recovered, with the breaking up of | | the ship occuring as it plunged or as the ship struck the bottom. | | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17. Key Words - Loss of Ship; | 18. Distribution Statement | | stability; free surface; | This document is available to the | | inspection effectiveness; | public through the National Techni-| | load line; water tight sub- | cal Information Service, | | division; closing devices; | Springfield, Virginia 22151. | | inspection record; crew train-| | | ing; lifeboats/liferafts; | | | search and rescue; EPIRB; | | | hypothermia; underwater exam. | | |-----------------------------------|------------------------------------| | 19. Security Classif. | 20. Security Classfi. | 21. No. of Pages | | (of this report | (of this page) |-----------------------| | UNCLASSIFIED | UNCLASSIFIED | 22. Price | | | | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| Form DOT F 1700.7 (*-69) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SS EDMUND FITZGERALD; SINKING IN LAKE SUPERIOR ON 10 NOVEMBER 1975 WITH LOSS OF LIFE TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- Page ACTION BY THE COMMANDANT - U.S. COAST GUARD Remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i Action Concerning the Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii MARINE BOARD OF INVESTIGATION Findings of Fact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Figure 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Figures 2 & 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Figure 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Figure 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Figure 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Figure 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Figure 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Figure 9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Figure 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Figure 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Figure 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 ===========================================================================