NTSB Finds Data Entry Error Led to Cargo Loss on US-Flagged Containership

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed today that a simple data entry error led to the loss of 23 containers and damage to 10 others aboard the U.S-flagged containership President Eisenhower off the California coast.

The incident occurred on February 6, 2024, while the vessel was drifting approximately 94 miles south of Oakland, California, awaiting berth assignment. The total value of lost cargo and vessel damage exceeded $735,000.

The President Eisenhower, a 984-foot-long containership built in 2005 and operated by APL Maritime Ltd., was operating its regular route between Southeast Asia and the U.S. West Coast when the incident occurred. Despite regular inspections showing no apparent issues during the voyage, the situation deteriorated rapidly when the vessel began drifting while awaiting port entry.

At approximately 2135 hours, crew members noticed what appeared to be smoke on the port side of the vessel. Investigation revealed it was actually powder in the air from collapsed containers, with multiple units missing from bay 42.

According to the NTSB investigation, the root cause was traced to incorrect cargo weight data entered during the booking process. A booking agent manually entered erroneous weights of 2,500 kilograms (5,511 pounds) for 39 containers, significantly underreporting their actual weights, which ranged between 24.5 and 28.6 metric tons (54,000-63,000 lbs).

“The cargo loading plan included inaccurate VGMs [verified gross mass], causing the container stack weights to exceed the maximum weight limit,” the NTSB report stated.

The error resulted in containers being stacked in a dangerous “reverse stratification” arrangement, where heavier containers were placed above lighter ones, creating an unstable high center of gravity. This configuration, combined with the vessel’s 18-degree rolling motion in deteriorating weather conditions, ultimately led to the failure of cargo-securing equipment.

“The vessel would not have sailed with that configuration, had it been known,” stated the operating company.

In response to the incident, the booking agent has implemented new safety measures, including automatic VGM capture from original bookings when modifications are made and mandatory verification of reported VGMs less than 10 metric tons.

The full NTSB report can be found here.

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