Towboat master’s license suspended

A Coast Guard official
apologized for the delay in releasing the report.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A towboat master had his license suspended for 18 months after his vessel was swept over a dam in 2005, killing four crew members, but no further penalties will be sought in the case, a U.S. Coast Guard official said Thursday.

The Coast Guard released a long-awaited report on the accident Thursday.

The investigation revealed that a number of factors contributed to the Elizabeth M’s plunge over the Montgomery Lock and Dam in Industry, about 25 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, said Coast Guard Cmdr. Steve Wischmann. Among them were human error, material deficiencies, procedural violations and limitations in regulatory requirements at the time, he said.

“I regret that the report wvas not released sooner,” Wischmann said. “However, as with all investigations, the Coast Guard ensures that all information is investigated objectively, thoroughly and diligently. This takes time.”

Any delay in releasing the report, he said, “did not delay action to facilitate improved safety on the rivers.”

The rain-swollen Ohio River swept the towboat over the dam Jan. 9, 2005, killing Rick Conklin, 40, of Crucible; Scott Stewart, 36, of Wheeling, W.Va.; Tom Fisher, 25, of Latrobe; and Edward Crevda, 22, of West Brownsville.

Three crew members survived, including the boat’s master, George “Toby” Zappone.

The Coast Guard did not identify Zappone, but said the license of the Elizabeth M’s master already had been suspended for 18 months, and that he was due to complete an additional 18-month probation period in January.