How can one of Norway’s most advanced warships collide with an enormous tanker? The accident happened in clear weather, and in one of the most monitored sea areas in Norway. Four years after KNM “Helge Ingstad” collided with “Sola TS”, the watch commander on the frigate may be punished for the accident. The prosecutor believes the warden was negligent. The defender believes that the duty manager’s contribution to the accident was small. Among other things, the maritime traffic center in the area could do a lot differently, he believes. The fjords around Bergen are closely monitored by the Fedje sea traffic center. The whole purpose is to prevent ship accidents in the waters, which are defined as a risk area. FEDJE: The maritime traffic center is located on the small island of Fedje in Nordhordland. Photo: Haakon Nordvik / Coastal Administration Thinks “Helge Ingstad” signed up too early The traffic manager has extensive experience as a captain at sea and joined the Coastal Administration in 2008. On Tuesday, he told openly for the first time how he experienced the night of the accident, from where he stood at the maritime traffic center on Fat. On large computer screens inside the center, he can mark and follow ships he sees on the radar, something the traffic manager calls plotting. This did not happen to “Helge Ingstad” on the night of the accident. The captain of Helge Ingstad has previously testified in the trial. He said he took it for granted that the maritime traffic center was plotting the frigate, and followed the ship through the area. – If the navigators in the Hjeltefjord can’t expect more support from the maritime traffic center than they gave that night, I don’t understand what’s the point of having such a center there at all, said ship commander Preben Ottesen. WRECK: After the accident, the frigate lay in the quays for almost four months. KNM “Helge Ingstad” was unable to save. Photo: Ole Martin Wold / NTB In court, the traffic manager explained why he did not plot the frigate. At 02.38, Helge Ingstad announced that they would soon enter Fedje VTS’s area of responsibility. They were then three nautical miles north of the area. – It is not desirable. It was far outside our scope, said the traffic manager. – Did you ask him to report back when he crossed the line, asked the prosecutor. – No, unfortunately it didn’t. I logged him, registered that he was there. But the reason I didn’t plot him there was because it’s not part of the routines to plot them there. The routine is to first plot down at our line, he said. Challenging situations with warships In Fedje VTS’ area of responsibility, there were 14 vessels in the area between midnight and 04:00. “Helge Ingstad” sailed into the area of responsibility of Fedje VTS at 02:50. The frigate did not report this then. The traffic controller didn’t pick it up on the radar either. In Fedje VTS’ area of responsibility, there were 14 vessels in the area between midnight and 4 a.m. OVERVIEW: The traffic manager had 14 vessels in his area of responsibility, in the hours from midnight until 4 a.m. He described the watch as otherwise calm. Visibility was good and there were calm wind conditions. One hour and eight minutes passed before the critical situation arose. In the meantime, the tanker “Sola TS” left Stureterminalen. At 03.58.13, Fedje VTS received a call on the radio from “Sola TS”: “Do you know which boat is coming towards us here? Does he have a little on the port side”. Fedje VTS could not answer this immediately. At 03.59.57, Fedje VTS called up “Sola TS” on the radio again: “It’s possible it’s Helge Ingstad. He came in north here a while back. It is possibly he who comes there”. In court, the traffic manager criticized himself for not plotting the frigate. – If there is something I wish I had done differently, it is that I should have plotted it, said the traffic manager in court. The traffic manager said that the normal routine if vessels are at risk of collision is to put them in contact with each other. The boats involved have a better overview than he has at the control centre, which is some distance away. He was therefore relieved when Helge Ingstad answered the call from “Sola TS”. Pilot: – Helge Ingstad, can you hear Sola TS? Watch chief: – Helge Ingstad. Watch chief: – Are you the one coming here? are we going too close to the e… blocks/lights. The pilot: – Turn to starboard if you are the one coming here. The watch chief: – I… a couple of degrees to starboard over as soon as we have passed e…, passed e….. the platform we have on starboard. Still, nothing happened. – That’s when I say that “you have to do something, you’re getting very close”. – Is there any reason why you don’t use a marker word, such as warning, asked the prosecutor. – It’s boiling in my head then. I’m not going to say a marker word. It was time-critical, it was just about getting the message out. TRAFFIC CENTER: There are five maritime traffic centers in Norway. These are to prevent accidents in defined risk areas where there is a lot of traffic. One of these can be found at Fedje in Nordhordland. Photo: Pål Are Lilleheim / Kystverket Several challenging situations with naval vessels The traffic manager said that in the wake of the accident, new rules have been introduced for warships. Warships must now report to Fedje VTS when they pass the border of their area. – It’s a different everyday life today, he said. The traffic manager said that he has experienced several challenging situations with naval vessels. He believes that both Norwegian and foreign naval vessels have broken the rules of the sea several times. Among other things, by failing to register in the area of Fedje VTS, that they do not comply with the obligation to listen and that they make strange maneuvers in the fjord, according to the traffic manager. – They may have been allowed to operate a bit on their own in the fjord, he said in court.
ttn-69
Therefore, Fedje VTS did not know that the frigate was at Stureterminalen – news Vestland
