Training Ship Being Transferred to Galveston
The T/V Kings Pointer was the first vessel to arrive at the crash site of Egypt Air Flight 990 in October 1999.
The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy announced it is transferring the T/V Kings Pointer, a training vessel, to Texas A&M University in Galveston, Texas. The move aids an upcoming reconstruction of Mallory Pier, the academy's main ship docking facility, which is scheduled to begin in early 2012 and continue for 12-18 months. The academy also said it has determined that the ship no longer meets its training needs cost effectively and so will use other vessels for midshipman training until a new vessel is acquired.
The Kings Pointer has been in use for 19 years at the academy. It gained worldwide attention on Oct. 31, 1999, when it was the first vessel to arrive at the crash site of Egypt Air Flight 990, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean waters off Nantucket Island, Mass., killing 217 passengers and crew. The ship was on a routine training cruise from Kings Point, N.Y. to Boston when its crew responded to a marine distress call.
The ship also has been used for Merchant Marine safety and maritime security training and for officer and enlisted training by every branch of the armed forces.