Delta Mariner Captain Blames Lighting for Accident

The master of the Delta Mariner, Capt. Lloyd Patten, told a panel of investigators Thursday that the Eggners Ferry Bridge accident that destroyed a section of the bridge deck would not have happened if the navigation lights on the bridge had been operating properly. Patten and the ship’s third mate, Capt. Franklin Altany, answered questions about the cause of the incident after dark on Jan. 26, during the fourth day of public hearings in Paducah by the U. S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board.