Feds to reveal cause of dive boat blaze

LOS ANGELES — As the anniversary of California’s deadliest maritime disaster in modern history nears, the National Transportation Safety Board announced it will hold a hearing in October to reveal the results of its investigation into the Conception dive boat fire that killed 34 people off Santa Cruz Island.

A preliminary NTSB investigation concluded that five members of the crew were asleep in the wheelhouse and that there was no roving watch on the vessel operated by Santa Barbarabased Truth Aquatics as required by the U.S. Coast Guard during the hours when passengers were asleep below deck.

But the more extensive examination of the origins, cause and events leading up to the Conception being burned to the waterline has taken months of investigation led by NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy. The board will vote on findings, probable cause and recommendations for changes to small passenger vessels to avoid a repeat of what its chairman called a “horrible, horrible tragedy.”

“We have substantially completed our investigation,” said Eric Weiss, an NTSB spokesman. Weiss said that in the coming weeks NTSB staff will make public interviews, research and other investigative materials before the public hearing.

Families of the victims were notified Monday morning of the hearing. A Los Angeles Times investigation last year found that the U.S. Coast Guard had rejected prior NTSB recommendations for tougher fire safety rules for small boats. The U.S. Coast Guard has the sole authority over such vessels.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ National Response Team brought in to examine the charred wreckage is “in the process of completing the origin and cause report,” said Ginger Colbrun, a bureau spokeswoman. The fire is also the subject of a criminal investigation by Coast Guard investigators in consultation with the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, the FBI and ATF.

In addition to the NTSB probe is an inquiry by the Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation. Much of the investigations of that day have focused on Capt. Jerry Boylan’s actions that night. Boylan has not commented publicly on the deadly blaze.