USCG holds public hearing for Spirit of Norfolk fire

Nadeau, master of the Spirit of Norfolk on the day of the incident. During most public hearings, the most anticipated interviews are typically that of the surviving masters and crew, and Nadeau’s was no exception. During his extensive interview, Nadeau provided his first-hand account of the events leading up to and including the fire, as well as details of the undertakings of both his crew and those of the many nearby vessels that came to the rescue. His interview was by far the most widely viewed online and is obviously a critical part of the panel’s efforts to identify the causal factors of the incident. Another interesting part of the hearing was the extent to which the panel of investigators and attending parties-in-interest interviewed active Coast Guard members.

The U.S. Coast Guard has now wrapped up its latest public hearing for the investigation into the Spirit of Norfolk passenger vessel fire that took place in June of 2022. The hearing took place at the City Council Chambers in Virginia Beach, Va., from January 23-31. The event was open to the public for both in person and virtual viewing on the Coast Guard’s Livestream website.

The passenger vessel Spirit of Norfolk was underway in the Elizabeth River for a two-hour lunch cruise on June 7, 2022, when it experienced a fire in the engine room. Numerous nearby vessels responded to assist and successfully evacuated all 108 passengers and crew to safety. The Spirit of Norfolk was then taken to the nearby Norfolk Naval Station, where local firefighting crews worked to put out the fire. The fire was finally extinguished on June 11 and the vessel was deemed a total constructive loss.

The investigation and subsequent public hearing convened by the Coast Guard was led by Cmdr. Randy Waddington from the Office of Investigations and Analysis at Coast Guard Headquarters. The panel of investigators at the hearing was made up of both active-duty Coast Guard as well as civilian subject matter experts from Coast Guard Headquarters and the Investigations National Center of Expertise. Also present were investigators from the National Transportation Safety

Several members from Coast Guard Sector Virginia and Coast Guard Headquarters were called to provide testimony across a myriad of topics. Lt. Cmdr. Sarah Pulliam, the Sector Virginia Command Center Chief; provided a detailed account of the actions and decision making of the Coast Guard Command Center during the initial stages of the incident. The panel also spoke with Capt. Jennifer Stockwell, Sector Commander of Coast Guard Sector Virginia, who provided keen insights into the decision-making process undertook by the Unified Command that day. Other topics of note included discussion of the vessel’s engines, inspection history, firefighting equipment, and the cause and origin report prepared by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

With the hearing concluded, the panel of investigators will begin the analysis phase of an investigation. The investigators will consider the testimony provided during the hearing, as well as all physical and media evidence to gain insight and draw conclusions as to the many causal factors that contributed to the loss of the Spirit of Norfolk . A Report of Investigation will be prepared and made available to the public at a future date.

Board, who is conducting a separate but parallel investigation to the Coast Guard’s.

The most impactful testimony was almost certainly that of Capt. Ryan