The Port of New Orleans wants more than $1 million from the owners of the tanker that hit the American Heritage riverboat Friday. It asked a federal judge to seize and sell the ship.
The Port of New Orleans has gone to federal court over the tanker crash that knocked a riverboat onto its side Friday.
The port filed a lawsuit late Friday, Nov. 13, against the owners and managers of the tanker Atlantic Asphalt, CBS News reports. The port says the tanker was at fault and that the crash did more than $1 million in damage to port property.
The lawsuit asks a judge to seize the tanker and sell it to pay for that damage.
What happened in the New Orleans riverboat crash?
The Atlantic Asphalt hit American Cruise Lines’ paddlewheel riverboat American Heritage at about 12:30 p.m. Friday. The riverboat was docked at the port’s Thalia Street Terminal near the French Quarter. It rolled onto its side and partly sank.
The Port of New Orleans said about 129 passengers, plus crew, were on board. Some outlets have reported higher numbers. Everyone on both ships has been accounted for, and no one died.
Thirty-two people went to hospitals, none with critical injuries. Mayor Helena Moreno said Saturday afternoon that eight people were still in the hospital, Axios New Orleans reports.
Moreno has called the rescue “a miracle on the Mississippi.”
Who is the Port of New Orleans suing?
The lawsuit names three defendants, according to WVUE FOX 8 in New Orleans:
The tanker itself, the M/V Atlantic Asphalt.
Nave Shipping SA, a company registered in Liberia that the suit lists as the ship’s owner and manager.
Thome Ship Management Pte Ltd., a company based in Singapore.
The suit says Thome was in charge of the tanker’s safety management.
The port’s Board of Commissioners filed the case in federal court in New Orleans. It was first assigned to Chief U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter. The suit says others could be added later.
What does the lawsuit say caused the crash?
The port blames the tanker and its companies. It says they failed “to use all available means to avoid the risk” of hitting the riverboat, CBS News reports.
The suit also points to a long-standing rule in maritime law. When a moving ship hits something that is not moving, the moving ship is presumed to be at fault. The American Heritage was tied up at the dock when it was hit.
The lawsuit claims the crash came from negligence, gross negligence, fault or carelessness by the tanker and the companies behind it.
Officials still don’t know why the tanker lost control. Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham said the ship seemed to have some kind of steering failure. A river pilot was steering at the time.
What is the port asking for?
The port wants money to cover cleanup, inspections, repairs, replacement and salvage costs. The suit says the damage to the Thalia Street Terminal is estimated at more than $1 million, and that number could grow. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
The port is also seeking a maritime lien against the tanker. That is a legal claim against the ship itself. FOX 8 reports that a warrant directs federal marshals to seize and hold the Atlantic Asphalt.
A hold like this keeps a ship from leaving while the claims are sorted out.
What did the tanker’s owners say?
Nave Shipping and Thome did not immediately respond to CBS News’ requests for comment on the lawsuit.
Thome did post a statement Saturday morning. It said the tanker’s crew is safe and accounted for. The company also said the tanker is anchored in a stable spot for damage checks and that it is working with local officials.
The 525-foot tanker has since been moved across the river to the Perry Street Wharf on the West Bank.
Is the Mississippi River open again?
Yes. The Coast Guard said Saturday the river is open to traffic, USA Today reports. A 500-foot safety zone is in place around the American Heritage.
The American Heritage is still lying on its side in the river. Authorities said it will take weeks to fully remove the riverboat, Axios New Orleans reports. Burnham said the boat has about 16,000 gallons of fuel on board.
Who is investigating the crash?
The Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board are both investigating. The NTSB has a team on the ground in New Orleans.
American Cruise Lines said it is working closely with the Coast Guard and local officials.
We will update this story as the case moves forward.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
CBS News (Nov. 14, 2026), the lawsuit, the seizure request, the presumption of fault and Thome’s statement
WVUE FOX 8 (Nov. 14, 2026), the court, judge, lawyers, defendants and damage estimate
Axios New Orleans (Nov. 14, 2026), hospital update, removal timeline, fuel on board and tanker move
USA Today (Nov. 14, 2026), the river reopening and safety zone
WDSU (Nov. 14, 2026), the passenger count
NBC News (Nov. 13, 2026), the mayor’s comments and the investigation
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