Mechanical failure in 'Ride the Ducks' crash caused by maintenance, oversight issues

The National Transportation Safety Board said the cause behind a crash involving an amphibious Duck vehicle and a tour bus that killed five people was a mechanical failure that stemmed from maintenance-related problems and a lack of oversight years before the crash.

In NTSB’s assessment announced Tuesday, they reiterated that the driver was not at fault, but a mechanical failure.

>>PHOTOS: RIde the Ducks vehicle, tour bus crash in Seattle

According the board, the mechanical failure was related to a vehicle part called the Duck 6 axle housing design.

The company over Ride The Ducks Seattle, Ride The Ducks International (RTDI), was not registered with the Highway Traffic Safety Administration as a manufacturer. Therefore, the administration could not address defects.

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According to the NTSB, RTDI was aware of defects on some of its vehicles and attempted to correct it with modifications to the vehicles, but the modifications were poorly executed.

In its summary, the NTSB said  Ride the Ducks of Seattle lacked protocols to ensure maintenance was completed properly and that RTDI should be registered as manufacturer so it can address defects through a federal recall program.

Safety issues included in the board’s report were:

Last month, the investigative review board released still frames showing the moments just before the September 2015 crash.

The pictures showed the Duck vehicle veering across the double yellow lines and then tearing into the tour bus that was taking 50 North Seattle College students on a tour of the city.

The amphibious Duck vehicle tore a 19-foot gash into the bus. Five international students were killed and dozens of others were hurt.

The NTSB had been investigating since the crash occurred and released transcripts from its work.

>>RELATED: City, state and Ride the Ducks company named in another wrongful death suit

The driver of the Duck, Eric Bishop, described losing control, feeling the steering wheel lock up, and then veering sideways.

He and the driver of the tour bus both were cleared after investigators looked at drug tests and cellphone records.

Earlier this year, Utilities and Transportation Commission approved a $380,000 settlement against Ride the Ducks for 159 acute or critical motor safety violations. Other violations were related to record-keeping.

Since the Ducks have returned to the roads, they no longer travel over the Aurora Bridge and have a second crew member to give the tour so that the driver will not have to take their attention off the road.

Statement from Pat Buchanan, the attorney representing Ride the Ducks Seattle

"Since the NTSB began its investigation, we have cooperated with and assisted in every way possible. The organization has done a remarkable job in parsing mountains of information and developing its final report.

"While the investigation by the NTSB is comprehensive as to the facts of the accident, we believe it is important to point out underlying issues that are critical to a complete understanding of the nature of the accident.

"For example, the report clearly concludes that Ride the Ducks International (RTDI) was a vehicle manufacturer, subject to very specific rules and regulations, including dramatically heightened responsibilities for warning operators of safety issues. Had the company done its duty as prescribed by the regulations, we believe this tragic accident would have never occurred.

"I think it is also noteworthy that the NTSB called into question RDTI design and manufacturing. The board called the design 'inherently flawed' and the welds it made prior to delivering the vehicle to Ride the Ducks Seattle 'poorly executed.'

"In fact, Ride the Ducks Seattle has said that the service bulletins issued by RTDI were often problematic, citing issues that had previously corrected, or offering changes that had not been designed or reviewed by engineers or the appropriate experts.

"Ride the Ducks Seattle has voluntarily taken many of the steps the NTSB discussed today, and the company welcomes working to refine and implement the additional safety enhancements discussed in the hearing.

"Ride the Ducks Seattle has gone above and beyond what the NTSB or Washington State's UTC has asked of it in working to become the safest commercial fleet in operation. Ride the Ducks Seattle has received the UTC's highest rating, and is setting the standard for the industry."

Cox Media Group