Penoyer said the seeming tension between the agencies reflects their different perspectives and missions. The NTSB's job is to investigate mishaps and be an advocate for safety measures, while the Coast Guard is also the regulatory agency overseeing marine transportation.
"It's important to know that there's a very healthy and productive relationship between the NTSB and the Coast Guard," Penoyer said.
Meanwhile, the NTSB's handling of the Lady D case has its own critics.
Bob Ford, a former NTSB marine safety investigator who left the agency about three years ago, said in an interview with The Baltimore Sun this week that the investigation was handled in a "slipshod manner."
"It was just very weak. They just did not handle other issues that should have been handled," he said. Among the issues that deserved further attention, Ford said, were the "human factors" driving the crew's decision to cast off from Fort McHenry amid signs of a storm and the captain's seamanship at the time the squall hit the Lady D.
@baltimoresun.com
