NTSB TO RELEASE FACTUAL REPORTS ON NEW YORK FERRY ACCIDENT

As part of its continuing investigation into an accident involving a Staten Island ferry in New York City, the National Transportation Safety Board will open a public docket and release a series of factual reports on Tuesday, January 18, 2005, at 10:00 am.

The ferry Andrew J. Barberi was on a scheduled run, on October 15, 2003, from lower Manhattan (Whitehall Terminal) when it struck a pier at St. George Terminal, Staten Island. Ten passengers were killed and over 30 were injured. The 310-foot ferry was substantially damaged.

The information being released is factual in nature and does not provide any analysis. It will include investigative group factual reports, photos, interview transcripts, and other documents from the investigation. Additional material will be added to the docket as it becomes available. Analysis of the accident, along with conclusions and a determination of probable cause, will come at a later date when the final report on the investigation is completed.

For news media representatives, a CD-ROM containing the docket material will be available from the Office of Public Affairs, NTSB Headquarters (6th floor), 490 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C. Docket material also can be obtained from the NTSB's Public Inquiries Branch by calling (202) 314-6551, or from General Microfilm, Inc., (301) 929- 8888.

This will be a document release only; no interviews will be conducted.

NTSB Public Affairs: Keith Holloway, (202) 314-6100