The Conception was anchored off Santa Cruz Island, south of Santa Barbara, when it caught fire before dawn on the final day of a three-day excursion. It sank less than 30 metres (100 feet) from shore. Thirty-four people were killed in the fire.

The court held Captain Jerry Boylan responsible for the fire, which was caused by faulty equipment and inadequate safety measures. According to the ruling, the captain is required to compensate for the damages and losses incurred during the incident. The recent order granted restitution payments to only three of the victims' families, who submitted documentation for $32,178.82 in funeral expenses. There are several other cases still in dispute, including claims for lost property on the boat.

Boylan was convicted last year of one count of misconduct or neglect of ship officer and was sentenced to four years in prison and three years of supervised release.

I hate the term accident in this case because, in my opinion, it is not an accident if you fail to operate your company safely.

—Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board