'No fault' Canada body in parallel investigation on Concordia sinking
by Government Monitor/Sail-World Cruising on 5 Mar 2010
Concordia - proud ship/floating classroom now lies on the seabed off Brazil. Its sinking is a mystery. SW
The tall ship classroom Concordia which sank on February 17 off the coast of Brazil with all 64 lives saved is flagged in Barbados, so Barbados authorities are conducting an investigation. However, in a surprise announcement the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) have announced that they will also conduct a parallel investigation - on a 'no fault' basis, as is their rule.
Mystery still surrounds the sinking of the sailing ship, which was sailing in rough conditions at the time of the sinking, but not in life-threatening conditions. The vessel rolled heavily, apparently more than once, but in the final roll did not recover, and the port holes burst letting water into the ship at a tremendous rate. The vessel sank within about half an hour according to reports from the survivors.
The SV Concordia is registered as a sail-training yacht and operated as a “floating classroom.” It is Canadian-owned and operated out of the port of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Sixty-four high school students and crew, mostly Canadians, were aboard the ship when it capsized and sank. Barbados, the flag state of the SV Concordia, has opened an investigation.
Since the accident, the TSB says it has gathered information, in accordance with its own procedures, in order to assess the occurrence. Having gathered enough information to complete its assessment, the TSB decided to conduct a parallel investigation into this accident independently of the Barbadian investigation.
The TSB made the decision to investigate 'because the scope and methodology used to uncover causes and contributing factors will likely be different than that of the Barbados authority'. Meanwhile, in accordance with the provisions of international conventions, the TSB has stated that it 'remains committed to providing assistance to the Barbados authority as it proceeds with its investigation.'
When the Concordia sank, said by the Captain to be as a result of a 'micro-burst' of vertical wind, it was 40 hours before the 64 students and crew were rescued from their lifeboats.
About the TSB:
The TSB is an independent agency that investigates marine, pipeline, railway and aviation transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability
If you want to link to this article then please use this URL: www.sail-world.com/67037