Washington state suspends Ride the Ducks operations pending investigation

OLYMPIA, Wash. _ The company that sold the amphibious Ride the Ducks vehicle involved in last week’s deadly crash on the Aurora Bridge says it had “no reason to believe” that the Seattle firm that bought it had not made a safety fix to the vehicle that was recommended two years ago.tmpplchld In a statement issued Monday, Ride the Ducks International, of Atlanta, said it issued a service bulletin in 2013 to “company-owned locations and our licensees” _ including the independently owned and operated Ride the Ducks of Seattle, LLC. The bulletin had recommended front axle housing repairs for 57 Duck vehicles, including the Duck that crashed in Seattle, the statement said.tmpplchld “We had no reason to believe that Seattle had not complied with the bulletin,” said the Ride the Ducks International statement posted on the company’s website. “ ... This maintenance work involved inspection and reinforcement of the front axle housing assembly.”tmpplchld But for reasons still being investigated, the Seattle firm didn’t make the recommended axle repairs to the Duck. State and federal officials said the vehicle’s axle issues may have contributed to the fatal crash.tmpplchld Earlier Monday, the Washington state Utilities and Transportation Commission issued an emergency order to suspend Ride the Ducks of Seattle’s operations pending a full investigation of the company’s fleet.tmpplchld “Because of the possibility of continuing safety problems and a current lack of confidence surrounding the company’s operations, we believe it is important to act immediately to protect the public safety,” commission Chairman David Danner said.tmpplchld The UTC, which regulates charter buses statewide, also plans to file a formal complaint this week “alleging that the company operated at least one of its vehicles in an unsafe manner,” said David Pratt, who manages the UTC’s transportation safety program. The commission has set a formal hearing on the complaint for Thursday morning.tmpplchld Pratt also told commissioners Monday the UTC is now conducting a comprehensive investigation of Ride the Ducks of Seattle that will include checks of driver records, maintenance and inspection files and physical examinations of each Duck operated by the company.tmpplchld “What we’ve learned (is) that this company has not made any repairs on axles of any of their vehicles,” Pratt said during Monday’s special meeting. “We need to verify that and we need to understand what that means as part of our investigation.”tmpplchld On Sunday, the National Transportation Safety Board announced that the World War II-era Duck vehicle that careened into a charter bus Thursday had not undergone the recommended repair to the front axle. The vehicle’s left-front axle later was found sheared off in the crash’s wreckage.tmpplchld Witnesses to the wreck have reported the Duck swerved and appeared to have a mechanical problem with its left front wheel just before the deadly crash, but the NTSB hasn’t determined whether the axle broke off before the collision.tmpplchld Identified as Duck No. 6 in Seattle firm’s fleet of about 20 Ducks, the vehicle involved in the crash had been refurbished by Ride the Ducks International before being sold to the Seattle firm, an independently owned and operated licensee.tmpplchld “While our vehicles contain limited elements of their military origins such as the original frame rails, the vehicle is fully refurbished, modernized and updated to meet and exceed DOT standards,” the Atlanta company said in its statement. “This includes everything from engine, suspension, interior and safety equipment similar to what is found in a modern bus or heavy duty truck.”tmpplchld Ride the Ducks International also noted other operators covered by the bulletin in Stone Mountain Park, Ga., Branson, Mo., Newport, Ky., and Philadelphia “had complied” with the 2013 service bulletin on axle repairs.tmpplchld Brian Tracey, chief executive of Ride the Ducks of Seattle, said the Ducks would stay off the road until “we can demonstrate that our fleet is well-maintained, road-worthy and safe.” He said the company would continue to cooperate fully with investigators. tmpplchld Tracey noted in a statement Sunday the company is “working to understand what happened” regarding the recommended axle fix.tmpplchld Monday’s developments came one day after a 20-year-old woman died of injuries suffered in the crash on the Aurora Bridge, the fifth death from the collision between the Ducks vehicle and a charter bus. She was identified Monday by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office as Haram Kim.tmpplchld All five victims were students at North Seattle College. Dozens of others were injured.tmpplchld tmpplchld “Our hearts go out to the families of all the victims, and we commend the first responders who came to their aid. Our action today is necessary to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare,” said the UTC’s Danner.tmpplchld The UTC’s probe should take about two weeks before initial findings are made, Pratt said. Meantime, the NTSB has said its separate investigation could take a year to determine the crash’s cause and issue safety recommendations.tmpplchld So far, NTSB investigators have interviewed at least 11 passengers, as well as paramedics and other first responders. They plan this week to interview the drivers of the Duck and the charter bus, which was operated by Bellair Charters & Airporter.tmpplchld Nine victims of the crash remain at Harborview Medical Center, including three in serious condition and in intensive care, spokeswoman Susan Gregg said Monday. The woman who died Sunday had been in critical condition since the accident.tmpplchld Six are satisfactory and not in intensive care.tmpplchld Before last week’s accident in Seattle, Duck vehicles nationwide have been involved in at least three prior deadly accidents since 1999; only one of those was caused by poor maintenance, according to the NTSB and news reports. The U.S. Coast Guard, which regulates Ducks in waterways, said last week it has inspected and certified 142 Duck vehicles for operation nationwide.tmpplchld tmpplchld ___tmpplchld (c)2015 The Seattle Timestmpplchld Visit The Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.comtmpplchld Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.tmpplchld