Norway's warship collides with tanker in fjord
SkyGod
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. Video of the tugs pushing the ship to ground it in this article (Tower Dog can translate):
The 2 ships were in VHF contact with each other, the tanker told the Navy ship to turn to avoid collision.
The Marine ship traffic controller was also on the VHF, at first he did not know which ship just popped up on the radar, they
never checked in.
The Navy ship did navigation training on the bridge before and during the collision.
(The above is no official version of any investigation, just random info leaked to a newspaper)
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The Collision Timeline
I can not post links yet since I do not have enough posts. The article can be found below.medium.com/@cargun/radar-images-audio-log-of-knm-helge-ingstad-frigate-sola-ts-oil-tanker-collision-a71e3f516b54
And this sums it up.
7:50 — Helge Ingstad: We’ve a situation, we ran into an unknown object.4 minutes 30 seconds after the collision Helge Ingstad’s command is still unaware that they hit the oil tanker, Tesla TS. Where exactly they think they were?7:56 — Helge Ingstad: We’ve no propulsion.
8:22— Helge Ingstad: Still not clear here, but we need immediate assistance.
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Thanks! 
On that evidence, a definite career-limiting exercise. I just can’t figure out why, was all the equipment on the frigate, they failed to ‘see and avoid’ a bloody great tanker!
On that evidence, a definite career-limiting exercise. I just can’t figure out why, was all the equipment on the frigate, they failed to ‘see and avoid’ a bloody great tanker!
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Some early speculation are now focusing on strong background lights so as to mask the tankers navigation lights, but all the electronic magic should have have picked up the 820 feet long tanker with a strong radar echo and a working AIS, as well as the warnings from the pilot on the tanker bridge.
Still holding judgement till we know what happened, but some of us have spent time on commercial ships and boats as well as in the cockpit of commercial airplanes and have a hard time grasping this one.
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Things seem to go that way when people pay no attention to what's really going on.
It is just unbelievable that this could happen and that with all the modern technology that is available nowadays. ARPA, ECDIS, COLREGS what’s that? Or was it party time after the NATO exercise?
It is just unbelievable that this could happen and that with all the modern technology that is available nowadays. ARPA, ECDIS, COLREGS what’s that? Or was it party time after the NATO exercise?
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My guess is that their situational awareness went completely out the window, for whatever reason. Complacency, perhaps?
Would be interesting to know the causes.
Would be interesting to know the causes.
If she'd just finished an exercise she might well have remained in total EMCON so no radar, just navigating visually.
Do Navies do CRM anything like we do? In a watch change situation perhaps with poor designation of tasks between the watches and no one head down on the image intensifier screen, visual nav being the odd glance out of the window by 'somebody' a big, black tanker might well not be spotted. Even with radar in use if 'nobody' is watchng it because they're busy briefing 'somebody' - and all jolly and relaxed at the end of an exercise...
Penny to a pinch of the proverbial this'll turn out to be a major CRM clusterboob.
Do Navies do CRM anything like we do? In a watch change situation perhaps with poor designation of tasks between the watches and no one head down on the image intensifier screen, visual nav being the odd glance out of the window by 'somebody' a big, black tanker might well not be spotted. Even with radar in use if 'nobody' is watchng it because they're busy briefing 'somebody' - and all jolly and relaxed at the end of an exercise...
Penny to a pinch of the proverbial this'll turn out to be a major CRM clusterboob.
Solar TS is 250m long, 44m wide,and would have been showing masthead white lights on the short mast towards the bow and the mast on top of the bridge, as well as red/green navigation lights, probably near the bridge, and a white stern light. In addition, she would have been visible on AIS, which identifies the vessel, position, course and speed. AIS will also indicate how close the ships will pass on current courses. It has to be said that warships often don't have their AIS transmitting, but should still be able to see other vessels' AIS position. Solar TS doesn't seem to have much of a bulbous bow protrusion, compared to some. Picture copyright as stated
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From Post #42 ...
... OK, 17+ knots, but entering what appeared to be a fairly busy fjord that seems a bit 'brisk'.
And would it have been necessary/appropriate to remain 'dark' at ENDEX when making way into harbour?
The frigate KNM Helge Ingstad is steering towards Sola TS oil tanker at full speed, despite repeated warnings that a collision was imminent.
And would it have been necessary/appropriate to remain 'dark' at ENDEX when making way into harbour?
Brisk does have that advantage that you are definitely the over taking vessel, which should make it clear who's responsible for collision avoidance. Obviously that didn't work in this case, but I've been on a T42 through the Dover Straits and the Captain had us doing 18kts to make life simple.
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Brisk does have that advantage that you are definitely the over taking vessel, which should make it clear who's responsible for collision avoidance. Obviously that didn't work in this case, but I've been on a T42 through the Dover Straits and the Captain had us doing 18kts to make life simple.
Thanks to the wonders of Google Earth, I've found broadly where the collision occurred. Searching for "Stura, Norway" will put you in the ball-park, and you can then easily correlate with the tracking info at https://medium.com/@cargun/radar-ima...n-a71e3f516b54
At this point the fjord is about 3 miles wide, about 10 miles in from the open sea, and with some 25 miles to run to Bergen itself. Annoyingly I can't find a chart of Hjeltefjord which might show shipping lanes or shoal water, but it seems that KNM Helge Ingstad is 'hugging the coast line' in such a way that there's little or no manoeuvring room to starboard ... leaving at least 2 miles of open water to port [depth unknown to me]. OTOH, why was the Sola TS running so close to shore on her way out, thus to an extent preventing an oncoming vessel from passing 'port to port'? Whichever, was it wise, in that scenario, for Helge Ingstad to be forging ahead at 17.4 its in the dark?
The scenario reminds me of the Halifax Explosion in 1917, in confined waters, where a combination of 'excessive speed' and a lack of manoeuvring room led to a collision and, subsequently, a massive explosion ("The blast was the largest man-made explosion before the development of nuclear weapons, releasing the equivalent energy of roughly 2.9 kilotons of TNT").
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Well thats it she is down. I still can not post links yet. But it can be found here.
vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/i/2178mG/flere-vaiere-har-roeket-milliardskipet-helge-ingstad-har-sunket
vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/i/2178mG/flere-vaiere-har-roeket-milliardskipet-helge-ingstad-har-sunket
At this point the fjord is about 3 miles wide, about 10 miles in from the open sea, and with some 25 miles to run to Bergen itself. Annoyingly I can't find a chart of Hjeltefjord which might show shipping lanes or shoal water, but it seems that KNM Helge Ingstad is 'hugging the coast line' in such a way that there's little or no manoeuvring room to starboard ... leaving at least 2 miles of open water to port [depth unknown to me]. OTOH, why was the Sola TS running so close to shore on her way out, thus to an extent preventing an oncoming vessel from passing 'port to port'? Whichever, was it wise, in that scenario, for Helge Ingstad to be forging ahead at 17.4 its in the dark?
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Looking at the video linked in Post #53, there was a stream of traffic up the west side of the fjord heading north. What on earth was KNM Helge Ingstad doing steaming head on to that stream at 17+ kts?
So sad that the ship has gone under, despite the tugs' efforts to beach her safely.
So sad that the ship has gone under, despite the tugs' efforts to beach her safely.
Last edited by MPN11; 13th Nov 2018 at 14:02.
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MPN11 - I took a different view.
I see the video as a stream of traffic heading north with the incident merchant man to the west, also heading north.
The frigate is heading south and is well placed to miss the stream of traffic, being displaced to starboard and therefore likely to pass port to port.
But she’s on a collision course with the merchant man due to her being displaced.
It seems to me that by positioning as she did the merchant man could not alter course appreciably to starboard - as that would take her into the other traffic. I am assuming (for now!) that the frigate wouldn’t alter course to starboard as she was constrained by her draft.
Not for one second saying that 17 kts is a sensible speed. It all sounds rather pedestrian but I suspect it’s above the processing power of the average surface fellow. Their brethren spent a significant portion of yesteryear trying to tip me off the deck, run me out of fuel, beat me in fog based games of hide and seek etc etc - you’ve got to watch them!😉
That’s more than enough fishheadery for one watch.
I see the video as a stream of traffic heading north with the incident merchant man to the west, also heading north.
The frigate is heading south and is well placed to miss the stream of traffic, being displaced to starboard and therefore likely to pass port to port.
But she’s on a collision course with the merchant man due to her being displaced.
It seems to me that by positioning as she did the merchant man could not alter course appreciably to starboard - as that would take her into the other traffic. I am assuming (for now!) that the frigate wouldn’t alter course to starboard as she was constrained by her draft.
Not for one second saying that 17 kts is a sensible speed. It all sounds rather pedestrian but I suspect it’s above the processing power of the average surface fellow. Their brethren spent a significant portion of yesteryear trying to tip me off the deck, run me out of fuel, beat me in fog based games of hide and seek etc etc - you’ve got to watch them!😉
That’s more than enough fishheadery for one watch.
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English language report and photos: https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/se...-ingstad-sinks
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Is the Helicopter still on board?
