Unintended Consequences: Ethan Allen

Terry Hardy

doi:10.56094/jss.v51i1.165

Authors

Terry Hardy Great Circle Analytics

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56094/jss.v51i1.165

Keywords:

Ethan Allen, capsized, NTSB, lessons learned

Abstract

On October 2, 2005, the ship Ethan Allen, carrying 47 passengers and one operator, capsized while on a cruise of Lake George, New York. Twenty passengers died in the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause of the capsizing was that the Ethan Allen was unstable in the rough waters that day. When the ship had made a sharp turn, the waves and the involuntary shifting of the passengers due to the boat’s motion led to the overturning of the ship. The ship was unstable, according to the NTSB, because it carried more people than it should have.

Author Biography

Terry Hardy, Great Circle Analytics

Terry Hardy leads efforts in system safety and software assurance at Great Circle Analytics. Mr. Hardy has over 25 years of experience and numerous publications in the areas of launch vehicles, space propulsion, cryogenics, software, safety analysis, and risk management. Prior to founding Great Circle Analytics, he led software safety and assurance efforts at Special Aerospace Services and at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; responsibilities included membership on the Constellation Safety Engineering Review Panel. Mr. Hardy also was the Principal Engineer for Reliability in FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation, leading efforts to develop safety, reliability, and risk management regulations, guidance documents, and training. Mr. Hardy holds a BS degree in chemical engineering, an MS degree in chemical engineering, and an MS degree in civil engineering. He also has been certified as a Reliability Engineer, Quality Engineer, and Software Quality Engineer through the American Society for Quality.