NEW ORLEANS — Federal safety investigators are preparing to examine the maintenance history of the Atlantic Asphalt, the 15,000-ton tanker that slammed into a docked riverboat in downtown New Orleans on Friday afternoon, according to The Advocate.

While no fatalities were reported among the roughly 200 people aboard the American Heritage boat, local officials confirmed Saturday that eight people remain hospitalized, with two in serious condition.

Around 12:30 p.m. Friday, the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker was traveling upriver near Algiers Point when it appeared to lose steering control just before passing under the Crescent City Connection. The vessel veered sharply starboard, dropping its anchors in an effort to stop before striking the docked American Heritage at a nearly 90-degree angle. State engineers confirmed the nearby bridge was undamaged, though the riverboat quickly took on water and sank.

According to U.S. Coast Guard and international maritime records obtained by The Advocate, the Atlantic Asphalt—built in 2017—has accumulated multiple maintenance and system deficiencies over the past two years:

- 2024: Inspectors documented two separate navigation system failures, including an autopilot malfunction near Baltimore and a loss of communication between the bridge and the main engine in Delaware.

- 2025: Regulators flagged the vessel for rescue boats that were unprepared for rapid emergency deployment, alongside additional infractions logged by Canadian and European authorities.

- June 2026: U.S. Coast Guard inspectors cited the tanker for faulty electrical wiring in its pump room.

Maritime law attorney Carra Miller told The Advocate that while none of the past infractions appear directly tied to Friday's steering failure, the volume of maintenance issues is unusual for a relatively young ship and will likely draw heavy scrutiny from National Transportation Safety Board and Coast Guard investigators.

Under maritime law, a moving ship that strikes a stationary vessel is presumed to be at fault unless it can prove the collision was unavoidable. Late Friday, the Port of New Orleans filed the first civil lawsuit stemming from the crash in federal court, seeking more than $1 million in damages from the tanker's Liberia-based owner, Nave Shipping, and its Singapore-based manager, Thome Shipping Management, for extensive damage to the Thalia Street Terminal.