FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 3, 2008 SB-08-12
AGENDA RELEASED FOR PUBLIC HEARING ON CONTAINER SHIP/BAY BRIDGE ACCIDENT
Washington, D.C. - The National Transportation Safety Board has released the preliminary agenda for the public hearing on the container ship M/V Cosco Busan, which spilled about 55,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil after striking the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on November 7, 2007. The hearing will be held on April 8-9, 2008, at the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center in Washington, DC. The final agenda will be released following a pre-hearing conference to be held on April 7, 2008.
Chairman Mark V. Rosenker, who will chair the hearing said, "This accident presents the Board with many questions, such as: Was the Cosco Busan's bridge navigation equipment working properly? Was there adequate oversight of the San Francisco bar pilot? Did the Coast Guard's Vessel Traffic Service exert the appropriate level of control over the Cosco Busan?" Rosenker continued, "There are a number of areas that we will be focusing on to get a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that led to this accident."
The preliminary agenda is as follows:
TUESDAY, APRIL 8
- NTSB Chairman's opening statement and introductions
- Overview of accident by Investigator in Charge
- Cosco Busan navigation and safety management systems
- Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) and harbor safety
- Accident notification and initial spill assessment
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9
- Medical and performance oversight of San Francisco bar pilot
- U.S. pilot associations (policies and practices)
- State pilot oversight commissions (policies and practices)
- Closing remarks by Chairman Rosenker
PROSPECTIVE WITNESSES - Representatives from the following organizations:
- American Pilots Association
- Association of Maryland Pilots
- Board of Commissioners of Pilots of the State of New York
- California Department of Fish and Game - Office of Spill
Prevention & Response
- City and County of San Francisco
- Fleet Management (technical managers of M/V Cosco Busan)
- Florida Pilot Commission
- Houston Pilots Association
- Houston Port Authority (Pilot Commission)
- O'Brien Group (pollution response contractor for Fleet Management)
- San Francisco Bar Pilots Association
- San Francisco Board of Pilot Commissioners
- Sperry Marine
- Tampa Bay Pilots Association
- U.S. Coast Guard
This is an investigative hearing. The purpose of the hearing is to obtain additional evidence and further develop the Safety Board's understanding of the facts identified thus far in the investigation. This hearing will help the Safety Board determine the probable cause of the accident and make safety recommendations to prevent similar accidents in the future. The determination of probable cause will not be made during this hearing, but rather will be finalized at a public Board meeting once the investigation is completed.
The hearing will be webcast. Details will be posted on the Board's website, www.ntsb.gov, when available.
NTSB Media Contact: Peter Knudson
(202) 314-6100
peter.knudson@ntsb.gov