Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Kendrick | Lt. Cmdr. Teresa Hatfield, the Coast Guard's lead investigator for the collision, listens to testimony provided during a hearing in Galveston, Texas, Thursday, June 5, 2014, for the investigation into the collision between the Miss Susan and Summer Wind on the Houston Ship Channel. The collision resulted in an approximately 168,000 gallon fuel oil spill March 22, 2014. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Kendrick)
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HOUSTON — Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board investigators closed a formal hearing in Galveston Thursday, that was held to gather facts that led to the March 22 collision and subsequent 168,000 gallon oil spill near the Texas City Dike.
The purpose of the Coast Guard marine casualty investigation and formal board hearing is to examine the causes of a marine casualty, make recommendations to help avoid a similar incident, improve overall maritime transportation safety, and promote safety of life and property at sea.
Investigators heard from the captains of both the Miss Susan and the Summer Wind, which are the vessels that collided, as well as the captain of another vessel in the area when the collision occurred, a representative from the Houston Pilots and a few representatives from the Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Center in Houston.