National Transportation Safety Board published this investigation report on December 23, 2025. On December 10, 2023, about 0139 local time, the William E Strait tow was pushed in to the bank on the Lower Mississippi River near Norco, Louisiana, when the towing vessel Steel Skipper, which was reconfiguring the tow, pushed the tow astern, and the William E Strait contacted two moored barges upstream at the Shell Norco Refinery dock, damaging the barges and dock. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. Damage to the moored barges and facility was estimated at $501,000.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the contact of the towing vessel William E Strait with moored barges at the Shell Norco Refinery dock was the William E Strait mate not recognizing the proximity of the unlit barges astern of his towboat as the vessel was pushed astern by an assisting fleeting tug while repositioning barges. Contributing was the dense fog and rain, which obscured visibility during the operation.