The Mexican Navy tall ship Cuauhtémoc reversed into the Brooklyn Bridge last month, killing two crew members and injuring dozens aboard. At the time, it was going backward–but why?
At a Glance
- The Cuauhtémoc struck the Brooklyn Bridge during a departure maneuver on May 17, 2025.
- The tall ship moved backward at speeds up to 5.9 knots (≈6 mph) before impact.
- Two Mexican naval cadets were killed and at least 19 other people were injured.
- The ship’s three masts collapsed after scraping the underside of the bridge.
- The Brooklyn Bridge itself sustained no structural damage.
Backward at Breakneck
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board determined that between 8:23 and 8:24 p.m., the Cuauhtémoc accelerated astern to nearly 6 mph before striking the Brooklyn Bridge, in a maneuver described as “illogical” by naval experts. The ship, guided by a New York harbor pilot, responded to delayed and translated commands passed down through a multilayered relay of English-to-Spanish instructions—causing a critical lag in helm execution.
The result was a catastrophic failure to clear the span’s underside. The Cuauhtémoc’s three towering masts—fore, main, and mizzen—collided one after another with the bridge structure, each shearing violently under impact. The vessel was reportedly carrying 277 people during what should have been a routine departure following Fleet Week festivities.
Catastrophic Consequences
The Cuauhtémoc’s masts stood 157 feet—30 feet taller than the bridge’s known safe clearance of 127 feet. Investigators confirmed the ship never should have passed beneath the bridge on that course, a fact underscored by the NTSB’s preliminary timeline. Two cadets—América Sánchez, 20, and Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos, 23—were killed in the crash, with at least 19 more injured, including several critically, according to reporting from The Guardian.
Watch a report: Mexican Navy Tall Ship Crashes Into Brooklyn Bridge
Investigation and Responsibility
While some blamed lax harbor controls, Mayor Eric Adams swiftly rejected claims that Coast Guard budget cuts contributed to the disaster. Instead, investigators are focusing on the Cuauhtémoc’s internal command structure and propulsion failure. The harbor pilot reportedly had less than 90 seconds to respond after realizing the ship was reversing directly toward the bridge.
The Brooklyn Bridge itself emerged structurally sound, but the NTSB warns that a full investigation could take over a year. In the meantime, questions mount over foreign naval protocol and whether American ports are equipped to manage such complex military visitors under live conditions.
This latest maritime failure exposes cracks not only in steel but in international naval cooperation—and leaves behind a deadly wake of mistranslation, miscalculation, and irreversible loss.