ETHAN ALLEN CAPSIZING IN N.Y. BLAMED ON TOO MANY PASSENGERS

The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that the probable cause of the capsizing of the Ethan Allen on New York’s Lake George last October was that it carried 48 persons when it should have carried only 14 passengers.

Contributing to the cause of the fatal accident was the failure to reassess the vessel’s stability after it had been modified because there was no clear requirement to do so, NTSB added.

On October 2, 2005, the Ethan Allen, a tour vessel carrying 47 passengers and one crew member capsized in Lake George, New York. As a result of the accident, 20 passengers died.

“This tragic accident highlights the need for clear requirements to verify a vessel’s stability after any modifications are made to the vessel,” said NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker in releasing the report.