The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that a pilot's decision to navigate the Algoma Verity outside the shipping channel led to its grounding in the Delaware River. This incident occurred on January 8, 2025, near Philadelphia and caused property damage estimated at $6.6 million.
The 623-foot (190-metre) dry bulk carrier, operated by Algoma Shipping, was laden with salt and had a draft of 38.5 feet (11.7 metres). During the transit, a special duty pilot took the conn of the Algoma Verity to guide it through the waterway.
The NTSB determined the probable cause of the grounding was the pilot maneuvering the vessel into shallow water due to "expectation bias". While explaining the incident, the agency stated that the pilot expected the flood current to push the ship toward the port side of the channel, leading him to overcompensate by staying to the starboard.
As the Algoma Verity passed under the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, the Master noticed the vessel was 140 feet (43 metres) outside the channel. The master voiced his concerns several times, but the pilot responded, "We’re going to be fine."
At 18:13, the crew felt a jerk as the ship grounded for the first time before continuing its forward progress. The Algoma Verity then ran hard aground 16 minutes later, bringing the vessel to a complete stop outside the channel limits.
The NTSB noted that the actual tide level was 1.7 feet (0.5 metres), which was significantly lower than the predicted 3.6 feet (1.1 metres). This discrepancy meant the current was likely weaker than the pilot anticipated, reducing the impact on the movement of the Algoma Verity.
Internal inspections revealed that the bottom shell plating was ruptured, allowing water to flood four ballast tanks and one fuel tank. Algoma Central Corporation provided repair estimates showing that structural members along the starboard-side hull were also damaged during the groundings.
Environmental conditions at the time included northwest winds of 13 knots (24 kilometres per hour) with gusts of 22 knots (41 kilometres per hour). The air temperature was 27°F (-3°C) while the water temperature was 37°F (3°C).
The safety agency highlighted that bridge resource management is an essential defence against human error. Recommendations from the report noted that unexpected actions or deviations from a plan should be discussed between the crew and the pilot to prevent unrecoverable errors.