Havarikommissionen: The frigate was not as tight as expected

Defense chief Haakon Bruun-Hanssen warned not to draw harsh conclusions about the merchant navy after the Havarik commission presented a preliminary report on Thursday.

One of the main conclusions of the report was that the watertight bulkheads of the frigate were not waterproof anyway. The Commission considers this finding to be a critical finding for safety and a very serious deficiency, which is probably equally valid for all other Nansen-class frigates.

The chief of defense, Haakon Bruun-Hanssen, said that they took seriously what the hearing committee had presented, but pointed out that it was "difficult". a preliminary report, and not a final conclusion.

"We have to make sure to draw solid conclusions about what happened," Bruun-Hanssen said.

He points out that the police still investigate the incident as an accident.

The KNM crew Helge Ingstad did not understand that he had contacted the tanker, according to the report. Sola TS thought tires were a stationary object.

– Do you think that's because Sola TS was listened to by mistake?

"I do not want to use the term in error, but according to the information we received from the Havarikommission Commission, the light from their tires was considerable after they left the wharf," said the director of defense, Haakon Bruun-Hanssen.

– Could this be a cause of the accident?

– The frigate has apparently misunderstood society since the conclusion of the hearing committee that it was perceived as an immobile object, which does not correspond to reality. Something more than we can say, says Bruun-Hanssen.

The second main conclusion of the Havarikommission was that the crew of the KNM Helge Instad frigate had first thought that the TS Sola light was coming from the Sturme terminal. So, they thought that it was not possible to pass the starboard for the object.

Dialogue with Spanish shipyards

The main purpose of the Armed Forces is to lift KNM Helge Ingstad and take care of those who were on board and who have experienced the accident.

The defense commander also indicates that temporary measures have been introduced on all frigates as a result of the critical findings.

"We have taken temporary measures to address this issue so that ships can navigate, we are talking to Defense Materials and the Spanish shipbuilder Navantia to find permanent solutions, so it should not be a security challenge for the ship. 'future,' said Bruun-Hanssen.

– Would it be a crew?

"It is obvious that it is badly done." The Havarikommission points out that they are studying three main teams: the KNM frigate Helge Ingstad, the tanker Sola TS and the Stureterminalen in Hjeltefjorden. then there is something wrong, but why did we come back? "says Nils Andreas Stensønes, Chief of the Navy.

Come surprise for the Helge Ingstad Bridge

Kristian Haugnes of the Norwegian Civil Aviation Commission for the Armed Forces informed Aftenposten that the water intrusion on KNM Helge Ingstad occurred for the first time in the back hall of the generator, before the water spills into the trunk and finally into the engine room.

It is clear that the water intake beyond that which had to be watertight pulled through cavities around the sheath.

– The climbing of the water penetration occurred quickly and unexpectedly, as well as surprises for those who were on the bridge. This affected the decisions they made, says Haugnes.

Should have been operational

The boat was too soon filled with water and its stability was very poor during the accident.

– The construction of the vessel should have been such that the ship was still operational after damage such as Helge Ingstad. Why not, is one of the interesting topics that the commission of inquiry on the accidents will wait with interest, declares the director of the department, Dag S. Liseth in the Havarikommission.

He says the quick water billing on the warship is a design flaw.

"But we also need to determine if the ship was damaged at the time of the grounding," says Liseth.