By — Jeffrey Collins, Associated Press Jeffrey Collins, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/new-orleans-port-sues-to-get-control-of-tanker-that-crashed-into-cruise-ship-on-mississippi-river Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter New Orleans port sues to get control of tanker that crashed into cruise ship on Mississippi River Nation Nov 14, 2026 3:09 PM EST Just hours after a tanker in New Orleans lost its steering and slammed into a docked river cruise boat, the city's port sued to make sure federal investigators can seize the vessel that is owned by a subsidiary of a Chinese company. READ MORE: All passengers and crew on New Orleans cruise ship survive crash with tanker on Mississippi River All 197 passengers and crew on the American Heritage cruise ship survived Friday as well as the crew on the tanker. Officials said 32 people were brought to the hospital, including two police officers thrown into the Mississippi River when the boat rolled. But none of the injuries were critical and eight remained hospitalized Saturday. Lawsuit leads to warrant to get control of tanker The lawsuit, filed…
New Orleans port sues to get control of tanker that crashed into cruise ship on Mississippi River
In short
A lawsuit by local port authorities secured federal custody of the Atlantic Asphalt tanker after it lost steering and struck a docked cruise vessel. The impact flipped the American Heritage onto its side, pitching about 100 people into the Mississippi River and leaving 32 injured, though all 197 people aboard survived. While the tanker was safely towed away, salvage teams must extract roughly 16,000 gallons of fuel from the cruise boat before it can be moved. Federal investigators are now examining the exact cause of the crash as river traffic prepares to normalize.
Key points
- The collision resulted in at least $1 million in damage to the terminal facility at the P…: The collision resulted in at least $1 million in damage to the terminal facility at the Port of New Orleans.
- All 197 individuals aboard the American Heritage survived the collision, and no critical…: All 197 individuals aboard the American Heritage survived the collision, and no critical injuries were reported among the hospitalized victims.
- The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation to determine why…: The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation to determine why the tanker suffered a loss of steering.