As families and friends mourn the deaths of 17 people killed on a tourist duck boat in Branson, Missouri, the National Transportation Safety Board is beginning its investigation into what caused the crash.
The tragedy at Table Rock Lake wasn’t the first time a duck amphibious vehicle had been involved in a deadly crash.
Since 1999, 40 people have been killed in deadly crashes involving amphibious tour buses, according to The Associated Press.
1999: Arkansas
“Miss Majestic” sank May 1, 1999 near Hot Springs, Arkansas in Lake Hamilton.
The boat was only seven minutes into its tour when it sank by the stern and went to the bottom of the lake, according to the Associated Press.
Thirteen people were killed.
The boat had to be hoisted out of the lake by a crane.
The NTSB report found that roofs or canopies on the duck boats put passengers in danger, because passengers could become trapped underneath them -- especially if they were wearing life jackets, because of their natural buoyancy.
The cause of the accident was determined to be inadequate maintenance of the vehicle, built by the U.S. Army in 1944.
2003: Boston
Rosemary Hamelburg, 63, fell backward off a duck boat into a parking lot while taking a photo on a duck boat in Boston.
She died four days later.
Her family filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Her family and lawyers said the duck boat operation failed to follow its own safety policies on board the Boston Duck Tours Boat.
The company settled with Hamelburg’s estate for $425,000.
2010: Philadelphia
A collision between a duck boat and a stalled tugboat on the Delaware River in Philadelphia caused the duck boat to sink.
Two students from Hungary were killed and over 25 people hurt, WPVI reports.
The NTSB determined that the tugboat operator was distracted by talking to family members on his cellphone and laptop.
The duck boat was also found at fault -- investigators found the boat had maintenance issues and faulted the captain for anchoring in an active boat channel.
2015: Philadelphia
Elizabeth Karnicki, 68, of Beaumont, Texas, was hit and killed as she crossed a busy Philadelphia street at rush hour in May 2015.
Her husband argued duck boats have large blind spots and drivers cannot see pedestrians.
According to the Kansas City Star, he sued the company but eventually settled.
2015: Seattle
Five college students were killed and 69 others hurt after a duck boat collided with a charter bus on Seattle’s Aurora Bridge in September 2015.
The NTSB determined that an axle on the duck boat broke, causing the driver to lose control and slam into the charter bus, carrying a group of international students.
NTSB investigators determined that Ride the Ducks International, the duck boat parent company, violated law by not telling regulators about a safety defect on the duck boat’s axle and failing to issue a recall.
The company agreed to pay all penalties.
2016: Boston
Allison Warmuth, 28, was hit and killed by a duck boat while riding a motor scooter in downtown Boston in 2016, NBC reports.
NTSB investigators found that the duck boat driver took his eyes off the road to point out landmarks along the tour before the accident.
This prompted the Massachusetts legislature to pass a new law prohibiting drivers from serving as a tour guide and driver.
The duck boats were also required to add new safety equipment, including blind spot cameras.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
Cox Media Group
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