A chief engineer has admitted guilt in a US federal case following the loss of control of the MSC Michigan VII containership near Charleston's Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge in June 2024, reported TradeWinds.

The 6,648-TEU MSC Michigan VII, built in 2000, was travelling at nearly full throttle between 14 and 17 knots when it became stuck, prompting the US Coast Guard to shut the bridge to traffic.

ABC reported that Fernando San Diego San Juan was charged with failure to report a hazardous condition and obstruction of agency proceedings. He joined the vessel in April 2024 and remained until July.

Court documents revealed San Juan received only five hours for a mandatory handover from the previous chief engineer, far short of the standard 24 hours.

The ship was experiencing mechanical issues involving air compressors and generators. The linkage rod, which was manually adjusted by the crew despite known risks, later disconnected during the outbound voyage.

San Juan attempted to reconnect the rod but failed. He later misled the National Transportation Safety Board by claiming the rod had not been adjusted.

The crew eventually regained control of the engines and the vessel departed Charleston without further incident. However, its wake pushed a small boat onto rocks, injuring two boaters.