About 1915 on June 17, 1978, the steam showboat WHIPPOORWILL overturned while in transit on Pomona Lake, Kansas. A waterspout (a tornado occurring over water) passed near the vessel at the time of the accident. Of the 60 persons on board the vessel, 15 were killed and 6 were injured. The vessel sustained minor damage and returned to passenger service shortly after the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the WHIPPOORWILL's reduced stability as a result of an accumulation of water within the vessel's integral hull tanks, the vessel's inadequate design stability, its operation during adverse weather conditions, and the failure of the operator to obtain the current weather forecasts.
Marine Accident Report - Showboat WHIPPOORWILL Capsizing, Pomona Lake, Kansas, June 17, 1978
1979
19 pages
Report
No indication
English