A congressional subcommittee is holding a hearing in Washington, D.C. Thursday on the Labor Day excursion boat accident in the Channel Islands which killed 34 people. The House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation is looking at the fire on board the Conception.
It’s expected National Transportation Safety Board and Coast Guard officials will outline what’s known so far about the deadly fire. The full investigation isn’t expected to be completed until sometime next year. The Conception passed its most recent Coast Guard investigation.
But, NTSB officials have raised questions about whether the crew was properly maintaining a watch at the time of the early morning fire. It’s also suggested that the two exits in the boat’s sleeping area may have been inadequate.