EXPRESS 1 and BALTIC CONDOR collision (2019)

Classification

Incident Type: Collision
Severity: Medium

Vessel Details

The available information is grouped below.

EXPRESS 1

Field	Value
Vessel Name	EXPRESS 1
Vessel Type	HSC Passenger Vessel
Flag State	Denmark
IMO Number	9501590
Gross Tonnage
LOA (m)	112.60
Breadth (m)	30.50
Year Built	2009
Power (kW)	9000
Owner/Operator	Molslinjen A/S
Crew Size	2 navigators on bridge

BALTIC CONDOR

Field	Value
Vessel Name	BALTIC CONDOR
Vessel Type	Tour Boat
Flag State	Poland
IMO Number	Not stated in reviewed appendix
Gross Tonnage
LOA (m)	14.40
Breadth (m)	3.60
Year Built	1961
Power (kW)	132
Crew Size	3 crew and 9 anglers aboard

Incident Details

Field	Value
Date	2019-05-10
Time	1036 UTC
Location	Off Rønne, Bornholm, Denmark
Coordinates
Region	Baltic Sea
Fatalities	0
Injuries	1 serious passenger injury; 1 person fell overboard and was rescued
Missing	0
Outcome	EXPRESS 1 and BALTIC CONDOR collided; one person sustained serious injuries, one person overboard was rescued, and both vessels were damaged.
Direct Damage
Estimated Economic Damage

Key facts

EXPRESS 1 was a Danish high-speed passenger vessel sailing from Rønne to Ystad.
BALTIC CONDOR was a Polish tour boat on an angling trip with three crew and nine anglers aboard.
The collision occurred about 1.65 nautical miles from Rønne Harbour in dense fog.
One person aboard BALTIC CONDOR sustained serious injuries, and one person fell overboard and was quickly rescued.
EXPRESS 1 sustained minor damage to its port hull; BALTIC CONDOR sustained stern and rudder damage.
DMAIB identified ineffective radar detection and monitoring on EXPRESS 1, the absence of AIS on BALTIC CONDOR, and bridge-management failures on both vessels as factors in the collision.

Narrative

According to DMAIB, EXPRESS 1 departed Rønne for Ystad in heavy fog with visibility around 100 m and accelerated toward service speed. At the same time, BALTIC CONDOR was on an angling trip off Bornholm but had become effectively disabled while its skipper dealt with a machinery pump problem in the engine room. The tour boat was showing not-under-command lights and, without AIS, appeared only as a raw radar echo.

The collision occurred about 1.65 nautical miles from Rønne Harbour at 1036 UTC. DMAIB reports that one passenger aboard BALTIC CONDOR sustained serious injuries and one person fell overboard but was quickly rescued. EXPRESS 1 suffered minor port-hull damage, while BALTIC CONDOR suffered stern and rudder damage.

DMAIB attributed the collision to a combination of dense fog, ineffective radar detection and monitoring on EXPRESS 1, the absence of AIS on BALTIC CONDOR, and bridge-management failures on both vessels. On EXPRESS 1, the investigation identified degraded X-band performance in fog, imperfect radar setup and maintenance, limited continuous monitoring time for both navigators, and the possibility that S-band radar clutter-elimination settings filtered out the small target. On BALTIC CONDOR, the skipper's presence in the engine room meant the wheelhouse was effectively unattended until shortly before impact.

Sequence of events

Date/time	Event
2019-05-10	BALTIC CONDOR operated on an angling trip off Bornholm and became effectively disabled while its skipper dealt with a pump problem.
2019-05-10	EXPRESS 1 departed Rønne for Ystad in dense fog and accelerated toward service speed.
2019-05-10 10:36 UTC	EXPRESS 1 and BALTIC CONDOR collided about 1.65 nautical miles from Rønne Harbour.
2019-05-10	One person fell overboard and was quickly rescued; one passenger sustained serious injuries.

Contributing factors

Factor	Evidence status	Description
Dense fog	Confirmed finding	Visibility was about 100 m during the departure and collision.
Radar detection and monitoring on EXPRESS 1	Confirmed finding	DMAIB identified degraded X-band performance, imperfect radar setup and maintenance, limited continuous monitoring, and possible filtering of the small target by S-band clutter settings.
No AIS on BALTIC CONDOR	Confirmed finding	The tour boat was not transmitting AIS and appeared to EXPRESS 1 as a raw radar echo.
Unattended wheelhouse on BALTIC CONDOR	Confirmed finding	The skipper was in the engine room dealing with a pump problem until shortly before the collision.

Investigation

The Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB) investigated the collision and published a summary report. Its findings connect the collision to the fog, ineffective radar detection and monitoring on EXPRESS 1, the lack of AIS on BALTIC CONDOR, and bridge-management failures on both vessels. The reviewed report does not provide a monetary damage estimate.

References

DMAIB report: EXPRESS 1 and BALTIC CONDOR collision