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New information has emerged from federal investigators about the Mexican Navy ship Cuauhtemoc, which collided with the iconic Brooklyn Bridge on May 18, 2025. Reports indicate that the vessel was moving backwards at over 6 mph when it struck the bridge, resulting in the tragic deaths of two Mexican Navy personnel and injuring more than a dozen of the 277 individuals onboard.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is still working to determine the cause of the incident. Their preliminary report outlines the events leading up to the crash, but a complete analysis may take over a year to finalize. The latest details reveal damage to the ship, including scraped paint on its left side and a malfunctioning rudder that was turned sideways.
Interestingly, the local harbor pilots who assisted in navigating the ship communicated their instructions in English, which were then translated into Spanish for the crew. However, the report does not draw any conclusions from this fact or suggest whether it contributed to the accident.
According to the findings, a sea pilot boarded Cuauhtemoc at 7:02 PM, followed by a local pilot at 7:45 PM. The captain assured the pilots that both the propulsion and steering systems were functioning well, with no reported issues. The situation unfolded after the ship was untied from the dock at 8:16 PM, and shortly thereafter, a tugboat assisted it off the pier.
The docking pilot instructed the ship to move backwards. These commands were translated into Spanish and relayed to a crew member on the lower deck, who then communicated the orders to those on the navigation bridge. As the ship moved in reverse, the docking pilot eventually issued a stop command, followed by instructions to proceed slowly ahead. A tugboat positioned at the front and rear of the ship began to steer it towards the bridge.
In a surprising turn of events, just moments before the collision, around 8:23 or 8:24 PM, the ship’s backward speed unexpectedly doubled. Upon impact, it was traveling at approximately 5.9 knots, which is more than 6 mph. Earlier, local authorities had reported that the vessel experienced a loss of power and mechanical function prior to the crash.
The collision was captured in several videos by onlookers, showing the ship’s masts, adorned with lights, striking the landmark. Crew members could be seen clinging to the masts after the incident to avoid falling. Fortunately, the bridge itself did not sustain any significant damage from the collision.
