Tragic Event

[fishinwrench]

I assume a company like that has a "shop" with quality folks trained in Automotive and Marine mechanics?  Some specific Amphibious watercraft knowledge?  

I noticed as that duck was going down the engine and outdrive was steady running with no signs of steam from a flooded engine compartment, and no heavy smoke from overly rich exhaust.  If they are still old military design then I assume the marine engine is the old 4 cylinder Crusader inboard with a piped intake.  

I'd love to interview the maintenance crew and peruse their records.

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/07/20/tourist-boat-capsizes-missouri-mass-casualties-feared-storm/

[Quillback]

Some reading on the DUKW, if anyone is interested:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DUKW

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Maybe no one is to blame.  How many storms have the Ducks successfully completed?  Why do we always want to blame someone?  If the owners did say "no, here's your refund, we feel it may not be safe.", during every storm that happened, would they even be in business?  One made it, that says to me that maybe the storm wasn't the problem.  Maybe it was luck.  Who do we blame/sue for being unlucky?  

[vernon]

2 hours ago, Quillback said:

Some reading on the DUKW, if anyone is interested:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DUKW

Interesting that they specifically mention a rescue performed by a prototype Duck that involved 60 knot winds (nearly 70 MPH) and that were so perilous as to prevent "conventional craft" from succeeding but the Duck "had no trouble". 

Also states that they were designed with a bilge system that would keep the Duck afloat in heavy surf even when the hull had been breached by shell holes up to 2" in diameter.

Hard to believe that the waves on Table Rock were more severe than those encountered under heavy fire during a beach landing.

Makes one wonder if equipment failure is to blame since the other one made it under identical duress.

[MoCarp]

they will get sued, I am sure lawyers are lining up already...

[Quillback]

NTSB report on the sinking of a DUKW on lake Ouchita in 1999 that killed 11 people.  Executive summary places the blame on the canopy preventing people from exiting the boat, lack of reserve buoyancy, and a couple of other contributing causes.  

https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MAR0201.pdf

[Phil Lilley]

https://fox59.com/2018/07/20/several-members-of-indiana-family-among-those-killed-in-branson-duck-boat-crash/

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

2 hours ago, MoCarp said:

they will get sued, I am sure lawyers are lining up already...

Probably not.  Most tickets to events are waivers of liability. Which means you give away your right to sue the owners operators if something was to go tragically wrong.

[mixermarkb]

6 hours ago, Daryk Campbell Sr said:

Maybe no one is to blame.  How many storms have the Ducks successfully completed?  Why do we always want to blame someone?  If the owners did say "no, here's your refund, we feel it may not be safe.", during every storm that happened, would they even be in business?  One made it, that says to me that maybe the storm wasn't the problem.  Maybe it was luck.  Who do we blame/sue for being unlucky?  

There is a huge difference between a normal pop up summer thunderstorm, and a long traveling, severe thunderstorm warning tagged, storm. I'm not saying the captain or driver or anyone else are bad people, but I am saying that several people had to exercise poor judgment, , and there should have been policies in place to protect their patrons from poor judgment.

Even if your equipment is rated to work in 60-70mph winds, severe thunderstorms are just not places for the general public to be. At any concert I'm working, when I see that warning box go up, we are clearing the area and waiting it out. No exceptions.

There is no form of entertainment worth having people exposed to a severe storm. It's not like those people were working a job that they knew could be dangerous, or storm chasing looking for an adrenaline rush. They were just there to be entertained for 30 minutes or an hour or however long the trip was. Attractions like the ducks, theme parks, professional sporting events, my industry of concerts, etc, ALL have to get serious about weather plans, terrorist/active shooter plans, etc. There have been plenty of examples already, and it sucks that some people have been too slow to come up with common sense plans to keep their patrons safe.

NO ENTERTAINMENT IS WORTH DYING FOR.

[MickinMO]

We were at SDC a couple of weeks ago on a day there were some scattered storms in the area. I guess lightning got within 10 miles and the rides were shut down pronto and pretty much at the same time. They must use radios to notify the operators.