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Investigators End Search of El Faro Without Finding Black Box

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epa05005567 (FILE) An undated handout file picture made available by TOTE Maritime shows the cargo ship El Faro at sea. A search team found what it said was the wreck of a cargo ship that sank in last month's Hurricane Joaquin with the loss of 33 crew members, a US official said on 31 October 2015. 'The vessel was located at a depth of about 15,000 feet (4,500 meters) in the vicinity of its last known position,' the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said. A search vessel detected the wreck using sonar on 31 October, and would deploy a remotely operated sub to confirm its identity as early as 01 November, it said. The 224-metre-long El Faro was bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico with a crew of 28 US citizens and five Poles, when last heard from 01 October near the Bahamas, as Joaquin was gaining strength over the archipelago. A full search with up to five planes, a helicopter, three cutters and three tugboats, as well as US Navy and Air Force resources, failed to find the boat after it lost communications. EPA/TOTE MARITIME HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES
An undated handout file picture made available by TOTE Maritime shows the cargo ship El Faro at sea. A search team found what it said was the wreck of a cargo ship that sank during Hurricane Joaquin with the loss of 33 crew members, a US official said on Oct. 31, 2015.TOTE Maritime—EPA
By Sarah Begley

The National Transportation Safety Board says it has completed its search and video documentation of the sunken El Faro, but did not find its voyage data recorder, also known as a black box.

The cargo ship went missing on Oct. 1 during Hurricane Joaquin with 33 crew members aboard and was located on Oct. 31 near Crooked Island in the Bahamas in 15,000 foot-deep water.

NTSB Chairman Christopher A. Hart said in a press release, “While it is disappointing that the voyage data recorder was not located, we are hopeful that we’ll be able to determine the probable cause of this tragedy and the factors that may have contributed to it.”

The NTSB does not have any further search missions planned.

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