Contaminated Fuel Causes Chaos: Why Washington State Ferry Carrying 600 Passengers Ran Aground

According to officials, A Washington state ferry carrying close to 600 people ran aground last month because of contaminated fuel.

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The Walla Walla ferry had a generator failure and lost propulsion and steering controls, which caused its grounding in Rich Passage near Bainbridge Island.

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The investigation carried out by internal investigators, and the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest concluded that contaminated fuel was the cause.

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However, the source of the fuel contamination remains unclear, and the investigation is still ongoing.

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Fortunately, the incident did not result in any injuries to the passengers or crew, and no pollution or hull damage was detected.

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Washington State Ferries has taken the necessary steps to prevent a similar incident from happening.

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New, upgraded generator monitoring gauges on both the Walla Walla and its sister ship have been installed.

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The Walla Walla is a four-engine jumbo class ferry with a maximum capacity of 2,000 passengers and 188 vehicles.

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The Walla Walla returned to service on Wednesday afternoon following the investigation and necessary repairs.

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