The search
for the wreck and the visor of the ESTONIA was organised and performed by
the Finnish Board of Navigation (F.B.N.), the Finnish Navy and the Finnish
Coast Guard in close co-operation with the Accident Investigation Board, the
Finnish part of the JAIC. The survey vessels SUUNTA and EVA-200 (Estonian)
as well as the oil-pollution fighting vessel HALLI and the Coast Guard vessel
TURSAS were employed for various operations. In addition, an unknown Finnish
reconnaissance vessel and three Swedish mine hunters were engaged during the
time between locating the wreck (and the visor) on 30.09.94 and the official
locating of the visor on 18.10.94.
What
actually happened during this time lies in darkness and can only be assumed
to some extent from the facsimile messages sent by Kari Lethola, head of the
Finnish part of the JAIC (PCIMA), to Olof Forsberg, head of the Swedish part
of the JAIC. These faxes were found in the archives of the Swedish Commission
(SHK), but it has to be excluded that the sequence is complete. Also some
of the publications in "Svenska Dagbladet" (SvD) and "Dagens Nyheter" (DN)
in those days throw light on the probable occurrences.
In detail:
(a) By fax
of 30.09.94 Kari Lethola informed SHK that the wreck had been found on position
59°23'N; 21°42'E. - See Enclosure
24.393 - although this position lies 0.5 nm in direction 83° away from
the actual wreck position 59°22,9'N; 21°41,0'E which is correctly stated to
be the as-found position in the report of the JAIC.
The photo below shows the DGPS position of the wreck taken on board of a tug directly above.
The heading is approximately
east and the wreck is lying on her starboard side with a list of about 120°.
The water depth above the bow is 85 m and above the stern is 74 m. The highest
point of the wreck is the stern with 58 m of water above. The wreck is resting
on soft clay on the top with stiff boulder clay below.
A side scan
sonar survey of the area around the wreck revealed debris in an area of up
to 350 m to the south and the west of the wreck.
Note:
For easy
reference the dates with respective week days of the time frame in question
shall be outlined as follows:
Wednesday 28.09.94 5.10.94 12.10.94 19.10.94
Thursday 29.09.94 06.10.94 13.10.94 20.10.94
Friday 30.09.94 07.10.94 14.10.94 21.10.94
Saturday 01.10.94 08.10.94 15.10.94 22.10.94
Sunday 02.10.94 09.10.94 16.10.94 23.10.94
Monday 03.10.94 10.10.94 17.10.94 24.10.94
Tuesday 04.10.94 11.10.94 18.10.94 25.10.94
(b) By fax of 01.10.94 PCIMA did send sonar recordings and a radar plot to SHK. The sonar record showed the vessel apparently on the side with a big dark spot at one end. - See Enclosure 24.394. - This sonar recording was given to the media with some explanations and the media subsequently reported on it as per the following article:
(c) Article "Svenska Dagbladet" of 01.10.94. »First pictures from the wreck
On Saturday at a press conference in Turku the first sonar pictures showing "Estonia" at a depth of about 70 m were presented. On the pictures the bow of the vessel looks flat. "It is possible that this might be so, but the pictures are very bad and we will not draw conclusions from them", said Dr. Jouko Nuorteva.
Two sailors of
the "Estonia" have stated that the "Estonia" sank with open visor. This information
is revealed from the testimonies of the surviving "Estonia" crew members ........
The
first video pictures will be taken on Sunday weather permitting. The storm
over the Baltic shall then have disappeared so that the oil-pollution fighting
vessel "Halli" can send down 2 ROVs.«
The complete article is attached as Enclosure 24.395.
Note: Dr. Jouko Nuorteva, employed by the Finnish Navy, was in charge of the interpretation of the sonar recordings.
On 02.10.94 the wreck was examined for several hours by two ROVs from M.V. HALLI and the media were informed accordingly (see below). Simultaneously the wreck was examined by Swedish and other countries' navy divers, which was kept secret until today.
(d) Article "Dagens Nyheter" of 03.10.94 - Enclosure 24.396.
»New pictures from the wreck point to the bow visor.
Two ROVs were successful on Sunday in video filming the "Estonia". The commission has issued strict orders to the oil-pollution fighting vessel "Halli", which carried out the operation, not to talk about or show the films made so far.
Apparently it becomes more and more certain that the visor in front of the bow ramp to the car deck has been the cause for the casualty. Dr. Jouko Nuorteva, who analysed the sonar pictures taken after "Estonia" had been located, could give them a new interpretation on Sunday.
According to Nuorteva is the vessel lying on an easterly heading and in the course direction as it had been assumed in the beginning. Adjacent to the bow there is a big object which was either torn off or is hanging from the hull. According to Nuorteva the object could be the damaged visor or part of it. The video pictures should explain if the visor had indeed such a big damage.Detailed photographs.
The investigators do have access now to many hours of video tapes as well as to numerous still pictures both in black and white and in colour. "The pictures are of high quality, so much we can say", said Kari Lethola. "At first the pictures shall be analysed by the commission and then we shall decide what can be published", said Lethola.«
Note: It has been confirmed by the man in charge of the interpretation / evaluation work that there was a big object adjacent to the hull which could be the damaged visor or part of it. The question whether this was the case or not was clearly answered by the ROV investigations of the bow area on 02.10 and 09.10.94, however, no clear answers were given to the public and the respective sequences of the relevant video tapes received subsequently from the JAIC were cut out. See Chapter 25 and Subchapter 34.6.
(e) On 03./04.10.94
the JAIC held a meeting in Turku when the videos were analysed, respective
conclusions were drawn and obviously the future strategy was decided which,
among other things, was to continue the search for the visor.
On 04.10.94
SvD reported:
»Estonia's visor torn off.
Pictures from the wreck of the "Estonia" published on Monday evening by the JAIC do confirm that the bow visor had broken off from the vessel ...
Thereby the theory that the damaged visor caused the casualty is supported ...
The JAIC gave a few preliminary explanations of the video pictures taken during the first ROV examination, but was careful when commenting the cause of the accident. "Today we are able to say approximately what happened, but we are far away from being able to state why it happened", said Olof Forsberg.«
(f) The next available facsimile message from PCIMA to AIB (Accident Investigation Board) is dated 06.10.94. It reads as follows:
»page 1
The Finnish guard vessel "Tursas" has searched for the visor from 5.10. -
12.00 hrs. to 6.10 - 02.00 hrs. Now the wind is too strong. The Estonian "EVA-200"
arrived in the early morning and searches somewhere further to the east. The
communication between the vessels is not the best due to difficulties they
have with equipment and language. The area indicated by the drawing has meanwhile
been searched preliminarily.
page 2
The visor has still not been found. Pieces of scrap have been found in the vicinity of the wreck. They indicate the course the vessel held.
Southeast of the wreck there is an area where the bottom mud layer is soft and several tens of metres deep. It is difficult to find anything there.
The Norwegian SCS is still active and receives free marketing by the press. If the search is delayed and problems arise before we find what we are looking for we may have problems with the press. Might the next possible measure be to involve Sweden too in the search? Could you clarify your possibilities to participate? I have not informed Estonia about this suggestion and I shall not do so until I have your confirmation.«
See also Enclosure 24.397.
Note: Lethola states that the search for the visor continued, although it had been known to the JAIC already since 02.10.94 that the visor was lying next to the bow of the wreck. This is even indicated on the drawing being part of the fax where a smaller separate object can be noted to the starboard side of the bow. Moreover, the area indicated on the same drawing as having been searched - 2 nm to the east of the wreck, 1 nm to the west of the wreck and 1 nm to the south, i.e. a rectangular 3 nm x 1 nm - includes the position where the visor was allegedly found on 18.10.94, i.e. in position 59°22,97'N; 21°39,33'E according to the Finnish Navy and in position 59°23'N, 21°39,2'E according to the Swedish Navy - see Enclosure 24.398 - Letter Försvarsmakten (Defence Forces) to SHK dated 09.12.94. It is difficult to believe that such a big steel mass as the visor should have been overlooked or should not have been indicated on the sonar. The remark at the end of the fax that "the Norwegian SCS is still active and receives free marketing by the press" suggests that the Norwegians had offered some services which had been rejected by the JAIC and that the operation was performed by Finnish vessels apparently without the expected success. Therefore Lethola was now asking Sweden to send vessels to help search for "what we were looking for". It is difficult to believe that this relates to the visor which by then must have already been found since some days. The Norwegian involvement needs to be investigated.
(g) Next two facsimile
messages are available from PCIMA to AIB written on 06.10.94, but sent on
07.10.94.
The first one
was sent at 10.03 hours and reads in substance:
»To everybody: Dr. Jouko Nuorteva informed in the evening that while photographing from "Tursas" a new, very promising object has been found which could theoretically be the visor of "Estonia". Heimo Iivonen and Nuorteva have jointly analysed MV "Estonia's" possible last route and the object is lying on this route. The weather at the casualty site is again so bad that photographing shall be possible on Friday at the earliest ... «
The complete fax with office translation is attached as Enclosure 24.399. The second one is addressed toRune Lundin, who apparently is the JAIC contact in the Swedish Navy and was sent at 15.08 hours.
»Message for Rune Lundin: The proposal that a Swedish vessel is ready for action on Monday at 12.00 hrs. is good. We shall try to determine whether the big object, which I mentioned in my fax from this morning, is really the visor before we send the invitation. To whom can we send an eventual invitation for a Swedish vessel over the weekend?
Could you also inform us about the name of the Swedish vessel? I need this since I shall create for safety purposes a blanco-condition for the vessel when it enters Finnish territorial waters.«
Fax with office translation is attached as Enclosure 24.400.
(h) Next a facsimile message from AIB to PCIMA dated 07.10.94 is available - see Enclosure 24.401:
»Hej Kari, With reference to our last fax concerning the participation of a Swedish vessel Rune advised the following:
1) Concerning invitation for Swedish vessels over the weekend: "Message over the weekend concerning SÖK phone to: VB/head office Tel. 8 - 788 8114"
2) 3 vessels are available (at least 2 on the security scale) mine hunters VON, KONTER and ULVÖN.
3) "Kari, advise the contact person at the Finnish Coast Guard / MRCC from whom the vessels may obtain instructions."«
(j) The next fax was sent on 09.10.94 from PCIMA to AIB:
»Message: Good morning! Due to bad weather the search for the visor was discontinued during the whole day, but now Nuorteva has further analysed the pictures. At the location on the sea bottom, where "Estonia" on basis of the object did capsize, there is a 10 m long and 5-7 m broad object on the bottom. It is probably of metal. The form fits well with the visor. Depth is 70 m, the bottom is hard.
Karppinen, Aarnio and the ROV I team go onboard of "Tursas" at Nagu at 11.00 (Finnish time) and the work starts at ca. 13.00 hrs. They shall video film at first the "large object". Attached please find a sonar picture including an enlargement of it.«
Note:
Again they indicate that the visor is lying next to the vessel and even, that
ESTONIA on basis (or because of) the object (the visor) did capsize.
The attached
sonar picture turned out to be part of the sonar recordings with print-outs
at the right side indicating latitude and longitude and possibly course and
speed every 30 seconds commencing at 22.47.01 and ending 22.49.31. The big
object is visible on the recording between 24.47.31 and 22.49.01. Latitude
(y) and longitude (x) are stated by code groups of 6 or 7 digits which were
found to be based on the Finnish geodetic system. The Federal Maritime and
Hydrographic Agency of Germany was able to decode the groups indicating latitude
/ longitude although some uncertainty remains, because the quality of the
recordings is very poor and one or two digits might be missing. Under consideration
of these uncertainties the positions indicated on the sonar recording are
approximately 450-500 m to the NW of the actual wreck position. Attempts to
get a clear copy of the recordings are in progress.
The fax with sonar recordings is attached as Enclosure 24.402.
(k) Fax PCIMA to BAI dated 10.10.94 - Enclosure 24.403.
»Message: Good morning! The large object turned out to be a steel plate. The search for the visor has again been discontinued due to strong wind. Nuorteva is of the opinion that it is not useful to continue the search without having drawn up a probable plan. It does not make sense to drive around at sea into the blue. It takes a few days to make up the plan. This is the reason to consider whether the Swedish vessels should come along. What do you think about it?«
Note: Now the probable visor next to the ship is a steel plate of 7 x 10 m, which still has to be adjacent to the wreck. But it is never mentioned again.
(l) Fax BAI to PCIMA dated 10.10.94 - Enclosure 24.404.
»Thanks for the fax. From Sweden Hans Rosengren, Sten Andersson and Börje Stenström are coming to Turku. ... Concerning the question about the participation of Swedish vessels Olof shall revert soonest. He is in a meeting right now.«
(m) Fax Tuomo Karpinnen to Börje Stenström dated 10.10.94 - Enclosure 24.405.
»Börje. Thanks for your fax and the good pictures of visor and ramp. We changed our plans and went out already on Sunday because we thought that we had found the visor by sonar. We could not find the visor by ROV. We filmed again visor and ramp by ROV. A summary of our observations is attached. I will have the video film with me and we can look at it on Monday evening at Nådendal if this should suit you.«
Note: This is confusing because Karppinen states on the one hand that they could not find the visor by ROV, but says on the other hand that they filmed again visor and ramp.
(n) Fax PCIMA to BAI dated 12.10.94 - Enclosure 24.406.
»Message: Heimo Iivonen has now investigated the possibilities of continuing the search for the visor. We are ready to commence the search on Monday, 17.10. We will receive assistance from Navy forces. Dr. Nuorteva is employed by them. If it suits you, we are requesting that Sweden sends an expert in mine hunting by Friday, 14.10. He could come along with the Finnish reconnais-sance vessel and simultaneously he could prepare himself for the situation, in case assistance from Swedish vessels should be required. Assistance might become actual at the beginning of week 43, i.e. as from 24.10.94.
If our proposal suits you, we kindly ask you to inform us of the name of the expert and contact details.«
Note: Now
they receive assistance from Finnish Naval Forces with whom the sonar expert
Dr. Nuorteva is employed. Nevertheless they need the help of a Swedish mine
hunting expert already by Friday, 14.10.94, although the search for the visor
was scheduled to commence only on Monday, 17.10.94. This could lead to the
assumption that Swedish mines were somehow involved, i.e. since the ESTONIA
and her visor were resting more or less directly on the line Utö-Ristna it
might be that there was a Swedish mine field in that area.
No more facsimile
messages are available and on 18.10.94 the visor was finally also officially
found, however, in position 59°23,0'N; 21°39,2'E, which is 0.85 nm
in direction 272° from the actual wreck position - see also Enclosure
24.398 - but 1.7 nm in direction 238° from the wreck position stated to
be the original location position - see Enclosure
24.407 - which is 59°23,9'N; 21°42,1'E. The actual wreck position
59°22,9'N; 21°41,0'E, which has been verified by tug "OTTO WULF 4" on 30.06.95,
is 2112 m distant in direction 211° from the Finnish "original location position".
Since a wreck from the ESTONIA dimensions cannot move for 2100 m over the
sea bottom the original location position has been wrong from the beginning,
which is confirmed by Kari Lethola's first fax - see Enclosure
24.393 - where he stated the original position to be 59°23'N; 21°42'E
which is almost correct except that the latitude should be 21°41'. In any
event, on 02.10.94 and 09.10.94 they did carry out very detailed ROV investigations
of the wreck and probably also of the visor then lying with great probability
below the bulbous bow.
(click for full page image)
It therefore has to be assumed that the Finns deliberately moved the wreck position 1.7 nm to the NNE. This wrong position was maintained during October and November and was even taken over by Sjöfartsverket in the specification drawn up by this administration for tendering the diving investigation of the wreck, which was sent to 11 different companies, where the following positions are stated:
bow : 59°23,91'N; 21°42,17'E
stern : 59°23,92'N; 21°42,03'E
Smit/Rockwater were
awarded the contract to examine the wreck and the surrounding sea bottom.
Even when their diving support vessel "SEMI I" and the survey vessel "SIRA
SUPPORTER" with Johan Fransson and experts from Sjöfartsverket, Tuomo Karppinen
and others from Finland, Börje Stenström from the JAIC and Arne Valgma from
the E.N.M.B. together with an unknown number of criminal and other policemen
were approach-ing the area allegedly the Smit/Rockwater people did not get
a corrected position and consequently sent the ROVs down at the wrong position.
This is - at least - what is reported and the actual wreck position was subsequently
found by the SIRA SUPPORTER by means of the ORE sidescan sonar tow fish.
The reason
why all this was necessary is unknown to this 'Group of Experts', but it has
to be assumed that the apologetic letter that Kari Lethola wrote to the Traffic
Ministry on 11.01.95, wherein he explains that he had possibly exceeded his
authority when "isolating the wreck", has to be understood in this connection.
The letter with office translation is attached as Enclosure
24.408.
In summary it has to be assumed that the Swedes and Finns had found the visor next to the bow of the wreck, possibly the bulbous bow even resting on the visor, already on the 01. or 02.10.94, but decided to keep this secret as well as the actual position of the wreck and to continue the search for the visor. The Estonians were sent to search to the East (where the visor definitely never was) while the Finns with the help of Swedish mine hunting experts and vessels clarified something around the wreck which apparently had to do with Swedish mines. On 18.10.94 the visor was "officially" located and sometime later the "mines" operation was completed, whereafter the recovery of the visor at a position about 2100 m SSW off the alleged wreck position was carried out from 12th to 19th November 1994. The visor was picked-up and lifted to the surface by the Finnish multi-purpose ice breaker NORDICA assisted by the Swedish mine hunter FURUSUND. According to the entries into the logbook of the NORDICA - See Enclosure 24.408.1 - the visor was picked-up in position 59°23' N; 21°39,4' E. This was ca. 1400 m West of the wreck position.
