The final reports of the research studies on the sinking sequence of MV Estonia

Workshop in Stockholm, May 23, 2008

Background of the workshop

The Swedish Government decided in March 2005 that VINNOVA, in its capacity as the authority responsible for the Swedish Maritime Safety Programme, should commission a research study about the sinking sequence of the MV Estonia. This assignment was carried out by inviting Swedish as well as foreign research institutions of high international standard to submit proposals on a research study on the sinking sequence of MV Estonia. The Call or Request For Proposals resulted in 4 proposals of which two were chosen to be granted. They were:

The SSPA Consortium comprising

• SSPA Sweden AB in Göteborg, Sweden (Co-ordinator).
• Safety at Sea Ltd / SSRC (The Ship Stability Research Centre, Department of Naval architecture and Marine Engineering, Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde in Glasgow), UK (Technical Co-ordinator).
• MARIN (Maritime Research Institute Netherlands) in Wageningen, the Netherlands.
• Department of Shipping and Marine Technology, Chalmers University of Technology in Göteborg, Sweden.

The HSVA Consortium comprising

• HSVA, Hamburgische Schiffbau Versuchsanstalt GmbH (Hamburg Ship Model Basin) in Hamburg, Germany, (Co-ordinator).
• TUHH, Technical University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.

Background material for the studies were the Joint Accident Investigation Commission’s ( JAIC) final report (Dec 1997) and the National Board of Psychological Defence (SPF), Pilot Study of the Sequence of Sinking (March 2003). The overall goal of the research studies is to understand the sinking sequence and explain the underlying causes of the loss of MV Estonia and derive recommendations on design and operation of ro-ro passenger vessels in order to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

Workshop Programme

May 23, 2008, IVA, Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences

Grev Turegatan 14, Stockholm

Chairman Dr Tom Allan, Former Chairman of IMO Maritime Safety.

08.45-09.00 Opening addresses

Government representative

Per Eriksson, Director General, VINNOVA

09.00-10.30 HSVA consortium

Petri Valanto, HSVA, and Stefan Krüger, TUHH, “Simulation of the sinking sequence of the MV Estonia”.

Petri Valanto, HSVA, “Simulation of the escape of passengers and crew on the MV Estonia”.

Petri Valanto, HSVA, and Stefan Krüger, TUHH, “Conclusions”.

10.45-14.00 SSPA consortium

Claes Källström, SSPA, “Summary of the research study”.

Olle Rutgersson, Jan Bergholtz and Martin Schreuder, Chalmers, “Evidence review, course of events and simulations of flooding and sinking”.

Jan Blok, MARIN, “Model tests and simulations of progressive flooding through accommodation decks”.

Björn Allenström and Claes Källström, SSPA, “Model tests and simulations of flooding, heeling, capsizing and sinking”.

Andrzej Jasionowski, Safety at Sea / SSRC, “Technical Summary of the Investigation on The Sinking Sequence of MV Estonia”.

14.00-15.00 Short presentations or comments by external speakers

Bertil Calamnius, AgnEf, The Working Group for Investigating the MV Estonia Shipwreck, “Comments from a concerned party”.

Rolf Imstöl, Nautical / Marine-Technological Consultant, Norway, “Philosophy and Calculus”.

Björn von Ubisch, Ubitec B.V. Netherlands, “Question about Ventilation of hull below car deck after capsizing” – question withdrawn.

Knut Johansen, Scientific Engineering QED, Linköping, “Probability chain Regarding the Sinking of MV Estonia”.

Werner Hummel, Marine Claims Partner (Germany) GmbH, “The condition of the bow ramp and its locking devices upon the last departure from Tallinn”.

Eike Lehmann, Prof.Dr-Ing. Emeritus, Technical University Hamburg-Harburg, Institute Ship Structural Design and Analysis, “Calculation of loads on visor and bow ramp including its locking devices”.

Jan-Ove Carlsson, MacGREGOR, Göteborg, “Bow arrangement collapse – Sequence of events”.

Björn vd Esch, Member of the Estonia Group, Swedish Parliament, “Recommendations in order to prevent such a tragedy from happening again”.

15.30-16.30 Questions and answers

Special panel chaired by Dr Tom Allan.