SUB-COMMITTEE ON STABILITY AND LOAD LINES AND ON ...

Ref.: 391/09 and 520/09
BSU
Bundesstelle für Seeunfalluntersuchung
Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation
accelerations will still occur, but no longer quite so high. Consequently, the partial
filling of the tank makes a generally positive contribution to safety.
With that being said, the calculations also show that it would not have been possible
to prevent the accident by filling tanks partially. While the effect of the tank
considered above can be quantified physically and also makes a discernible
contribution to safety, the accelerations are still very high and with the effect of the
tank are also on a scale that is not acceptable. With pipe tunnels and divided tanks,
the vessel's real tank geometry means that partially filling the real tanks would not
have achieved any measurable success because the moments are too low.
3.2.9 Condition of the bridge
Based on the testimony of the crew and photos, the whole of the bridge floor was
covered with papers, folders and various material. These objects had fallen out or off
of the bridge cabinets (see Fig. 9). On the one hand, this is an indication of
improperly secured equipment on the bridge; on the other hand, some of the cabinet
doors may not have been suited to the sea conditions from a structural perspective
and did not close sufficiently. On the bridge, there were only four hand bars mounted
with sufficient strength at the ship’s conning position (marked in green on the
following sketch). No hand bars or the like are fitted at the radio workstation or, in
particular, the cabinet at Pos. I.
Figure 32: Top view of the bridge
The fatally injured third officer was situated at Pos. I amidships next to the radio
workstation. During the accident he slid about 5.50 m to port and then 14.30 m to
starboard before the master was able to take firm hold of him at Pos. II while he was
sliding back to port again.
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