in the coal crash incident , the tugs ship ms megan , which was of materials that did not requiring inspection by the unite states lighthouse guards , was being operated in the west cote blanche bay oil field in louisiana by local boat rentals on behalf of pegasus construction on september 12 , 2006 . the ms rhys was pushing barge ibr 234 , which was tied along the other side of a athena 106 , within pathway to a mound - throwing location . athena construction did not demand its sailors to pin jetty spuds ( parallel steel shafts extending through trenches in the bottom of the vessel and utilized for jetty ) securely in placed on its shoreline and consequently this had not been done . during the journey , the aft silencer on the nike 106 released from its slightly rising position . the submachine dropped into the water and struck a suspended , high - altitude natural gasoline tank . the resulting gas released ignited and created a fireball that engulfed the lifting vessel and both tugs . the master of the towing facility and four barge employees were killed . the miss megan deckhand and one barge worker remained . one boat worker is officially named as surviving .
NTSB is responsible for investigating transportation accidents in the United States.