© 2006 The Independent Fact Group
Finding the Estonia bow visor
STATEMENT REPORT
| Subject: | Finding the Estonia bow visor |
| Type: | Statement |
| By: | The Independent Fact Group |
| Status: | Proved |
| Date: | 2006-04-03 |
| Version: | Report - English |
The Fact Group's aims and objectives:
The Independent Fact Group was formed in early 1999 to clear up the many question marks about the MS Estonia disaster, in a structured and methodical manner. There has been considerable speculation concerning the efforts of the Joint Accident Investigation Commission (JAIC) and the political, legal and media treatment of the accident and its tragic consequences.
The aim is to give those in authority an opportunity, based on the facts of the case, to decide to review this matter, with a view to further action. Our efforts also enable the media and the general public to decide on the basis of the objective information which is available concerning the accident, and the conclusions to be drawn from a technical and civic perspective.
The overall objective is the setting up of a new investigation of the accident which can describe the course of the accident in detail, and its causes, with subsequent assessment of the moral and legal responsibilities, where this is feasible.
We are motivated by the belief that a properly conducted investigation will contribute to maritime safety and by our concern for Sweden's reputation as a nation which upholds safety at sea and the rule of law.
Methodology:
In the course of this task, we have assumed that the solution of a problem is never better than the validity of the basic assumptions. As a result, we have stipulated some methodological principles, of which the following are the most fundamental:
1. All scenarios must be considered to be true until the contrary is
proved.
2. All observations, assumptions or statements on which a scenario
is based must be considered false until the contrary is proved.
We have defined a number of criteria for concluding that an observation, assumption or statement may be considered to be true or false, and processes and routines for the route to be taken in clarifying an observation, assumption or statement. These criteria involve technical, empirical, statistical and/or semantic requirements which, if they are relevant must all be met if the observation, assumption or statement is to be classified as an objective fact.
The materials we have worked with are primarily the documents, audio recordings and films in the Swedish Accident Investigation Commission's Estonia archive, together with supplementary information from other public sources and, in addition documentation from the Meyer shipyard and its independent commission.
Summary of this report
In this report, the Independent Fact
Group shows that the visor, officially found on the 18th October 1994 at the
position 5923,0' N 2139,2' E about one nautical mile west of the wreck,
contradictory to this information was found by the JAIC (Joint Accident
Investigation Commission) already the 9th of October or earlier.
Written and sent information between Börje Stenström (Swedish Accident Investigation Board) and Tuomo Karppinen (Finish ditto) clearly remove every other possibility than that the visor was found, filmed and investigated already the 9th and 10th of October 1994.
To summarise this report in one sentence: Unless the investigation team of the JAIC, with highly ranked officials with lifetime experiences and navy, military and maritime backgrounds as Börje Stenström and Tuomo Karppinen, was in total chock and had forgotten all knowledge about ships and visors in particular, their written information tell the true story.
Definitions of certain language marks used in this report:
Text presented from the JAIC information and/or telefax is quoted as printed.
Our comments, explanations or clarifications are presented within square brackets [ ].
We have underlined certain sentences and words, to mark their importance.
The search for the bow visor - 9.10.1994 - nine days before the visor officially was found
In a telefax 9.10.1994 from Kari Lehtola [Finnish Accident Investigation Board] to Olof Forssberg [Swedish Accident Investigation Board] Kari Lehtola sent the following message [translated from Swedish]:
"Good morning! Due to the weather the search for the visor has been canceled during the complete day, but now Nuorteva has analysed the pictures further more. On the location on the seabed, where ESTONIA on basis of the subjects [on the bottom] have capsized, there is a 10 meters long and 5 - 7 meters wide object on the seabed. It is most likely of metal. The form is well corresponding with the visor. The depth is 70 meters. The seabed is solid.
Karppinen, Aarnio and the ROV-group embarks TURSAS in Nagu at 11.00 finish time and the work begin at around 13.00. They will video film the "large object". Enclosed a SONAR-picture and an enlargement of the picture.
Regards Kari"
This telefax is enclosed in picture 1 below and is marked "ESTONIA I 13" in the Swedish Accident Investigation Board archive.
Picture 1, telefax 9.10.1994
The "large object" was later explained by Kari Lehtola to have been a "large steel plating" and it was never explained why this plating was not recovered or why the video film of it disappeared.
The search for the bow visor - 10.10.1994 (early morning) - eight days before the visor officially was found
The 10th of October Börje Stenström by telefax sent a written and carefully prepared information with detailed instructions how to take additional pictures of the bow visor and ramp for evaluation of likely sequences of events. It says about the visor:
"The additional pictures are primarily needed for further investigation of the damage to the bow visor and ramp and for evaluation of likely sequences of events."
In the letter enclosed to the instructions Börje Stenström forms an hypothesis how the visor may have fallen of the ship and also states that the conclusion that may be drawn from the additional videofilms is so important that they all (the JAIC) need to agree to this as it gives a good picture of how the car deck was flooded.
It is remarkable how they, if the visor was not found at the time, could come up with such conclusion and hypothesis later shown to fit in perfectly with the damage they claim have caused the loss of the visor.
Picture 2, From the Swedish Accident Investigation Board Daybook 10.10.1994 regarding the filming of the visor and ramp.
Picture 3, telefax 10.10.1994, Letter from Börje Stenström to Tuomo
Karppinen.
Marked "ESTONIA I 15" in the Swedish Accident Investigation
Board archive.
Picture 4, telefax 10.10.1994, Instructions from Börje Stenström to Tuomo
Karppinen regarding additional video pictures.
Marked "ESTONIA I 15" in the
Swedish Accident Investigation Board archive.
Picture 5, telefax 10.10.1994, Enclosed drawing from Börje Stenström to
Tuomo Karppinen regarding additional video pictures.
Marked "ESTONIA I 15"
in the Swedish Accident Investigation Board archive.
The search for the bow visor - 10.10.1994 - (at around noon) eight days before the visor officially was found
The 10th of October Tuomo Karppinen answers from the ship TURSAS on location explaining that they went to sea already on Sunday [the day before] and then videofilmed the visor and the ramp again after having found it with the SONAR. He also says that they first could not find the visor with the ROV (robotic underwater vehicle with camera).
This information is very interesting as it clearly shows that they were not on location at the shipwreck filming the Estonia as the ship was found many days before and would not cause any trouble to find it with the ROV. The SONAR however scan large areas of the seabed making it easy to find singular large objects like the visor.
Picture 6, telefax 10.10.1994, Letter from Tuomo Karppinen to Börje
Stenström stating that they have filmed the visor again.
Marked "ESTONIA I
16" in the Swedish Accident Investigation Board archive.
Picture 7, telefax 10.10.1994, Enclosed drawing from Tuomo Karppinen to
Börje Stenström regarding additional video pictures.
Marked "ESTONIA I 16"
in the Swedish Accident Investigation Board archive.
It is also interesting to note that the later and official video of the
visor filmed at the seabed the 18th of October is named "visiri". Tuomo
Karppinen and others have claimed that it is due to the fact that they did not
know the true meaning of "visiri" used this name when they did mean
"ramp".
The Fact Group conclusion
The visor was found not later than the 9th of October 1994 by JAIC.
If the visor was found earlier and also removed from the Estonia it has not been possible yet to find evidence for such activities other than shown in earlier Fact Group reports.
DEDICATION
We dedicate this report to all those who lost their lives at sea as a result of a ships lack of seaworthiness.
If MV Estonia had been seaworthy many of the more than 850 persons who lost their lives would have had a chance to survive.
Troon, Scotland 3 April 2006