NTSB releases full report on Conception dive boat fire
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The NTSB released its full report on the deadly Conception dive boat fire Tuesday.
The report detailed key findings, which were outlined during the NTSB's October 20 hearing on the fire.
The lengthy report included information on the search and rescue efforts, injuries, the layout of the dive boat, background on the crew members, and information on the safety equipment on board.
It also listed the probable cause, which was discussed in length during the October hearing, as being the failure of Truth Aquatics to provide effective oversight of the boat.
That included "requirements to ensure that a roving patrol was maintained, which allowed a fire of unknown cause to grow, undetected, in the vicinity of the aft salon on the main deck," according to the report.
The report went on to say a contributing factor to the fire growing undetected "was the lack of a United States Coast Guard regulatory requirement for smoke detection in all accommodation spaces."
It also said the significant death toll was due to the lack of adequate emergency escapes from the bunkroom.
34 people were killed when the boat caught fire early Labor Day morning in 2019.
The NTSB held a four-hour long hearing in October to discuss the findings of its investigation and probable cause of the deadly fire.
The board strongly criticized the owner of the Conception dive boat, Truth Aquatics, for ongoing inadequate safety procedures before the fire, and the lack of a roving night deck patrol which could have seen the first flames.
To read the full report, click here.
