NORFOLK, Va. - The Coast Guard is holding a formal hearing starting Thursday, Jan. 26, in Virginia Beach to considerevidence related to the fireand total constructive loss of the passenger vessel Spirit of Norfolk.
The hearing is taking place at the Virginia Beach City Council Chambers on the second floor, which is located at 2401 Courthouse Drive, in Virginia Beach.
The hearing will be open to the public.
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The formal hearing is scheduled to convene daily at 8 a.m., on the following dates:
- Thursday, Jan. 26
- Friday, Jan. 27
- Saturday, Jan. 28
- Monday, Jan. 30
- Tuesday, Jan. 31
- Thursday, Feb. 2
- Friday, Feb. 3 (if necessary)
According to the Coast Guard, the hearing will examine all aspects of the fire aboard Spirit of Norfolk and subsequent total constructive loss including, but not limited to, pre-accident historical events, regulatory compliance, crewmember duties and qualifications, mechanical systems, emergency response, and Coast Guard oversight of the vessel.
During the first day of the hearing, inspectors testified that on May 10, one month before the fire, the Spirit of Norfolk passed inspection.
Just five days later, the engine overheated due to an internal corroded water pump failure, according to testimony.
According to inspectors, following the engine overheating, a complete overhaul to the engine was done and they say the Spirit of Norfolk operated successfully 18 times between the completion of the overhaul and the fire on June 7.
Chris O'Neal, who is responsible for training inspectors, says the months leading up to summer are their busiest, but claims that did not impact their work.
"Many of the vessel owners want to get their inspections between March, April, and June, before or during when a lot of tourists are coming to Virginia Beach or the Outer Banks or the Eastern Shore, so that time of year is usually a little busier but it doesn't put a strain, we have a good contingency of civilian marine inspectors," said O'Neal.
The passenger vessel Spirit of Norfolk was underway in the Elizabeth River for a two-hour lunch cruise June 7, 2022.
Around 12 p.m. that day, the captain reported a fire in the engine room.
Coast Guard, local fire departments, and numerous vessels responded to assist evacuating the passengers off the vessel and with firefighting efforts.
All passengers and crew safely disembarked. The Spirit of Norfolk was towed to nearby Norfolk Naval Station where firefighting crews worked to put out the fire. The fire was fully extinguished June 11 and towed to Colonna’s Shipyard June 12.
Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath, commander of the Fifth Coast Guard District, ordered a formal investigation to determine causal factors that led to the incident, examine the response, and identify any other information that can improve maritime safety in the future.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting a concurrent investigation into the incident and joins the Coast Guard in this fact-finding phase. The NTSB will analyze the facts to prepare and publish a separate report.
The Coast Guard has established an email address for the public and interested parties to provide information, ask questions, and make comments related to the ongoing investigation and scheduled hearing. NTSB says this email will be checked regularly, and all correspondence will be acknowledged during the hearing and throughout the investigation. The email address is: d5publicaffairs@uscg.mil.
We will be at the first hearing, and will update this article when we have more information.
Stay with News 3 for updates.
