Previous Home Summary Contents

CHAPTER 8 OBSERVATIONS AFTER THE ACCIDENT

8.5.3 Visor damage

Figure 8.4 shows a summary of visor damage.
The visor shell plating had an extensive indentation on its front side, slightly starboard of the centre line (Figure 8.5). This indentation was a continuation of a sharp indentation and heavy scratch marks along the stem from its bottom. The heavy indentation continued with scratch marks along part of the starboard side of the visor. The damage contained extensive colour marks from the blue bottom paint of the vessel.

Figure 8.4 Summary of visor damage with references to other figures.
Click image for close-up

The solid stem post was folded inwards and was cracked in several places. The stem post had separated from the shell plating by cracking of the welds.
The bottom of the visor was heavily pounded and distorted (Figure 8.6). It was compressed upwards, varying up to about 0.5 m compared to the original shape.

Figure 8.5 Visor damage on the front side.

Figure 8.6 Damage to the bottom structure of the visor.

The inner vertical bulkheads of the visor had indentations and score marks on the port side (Figure 8.7).

Figure 8.7 Impact marks in the port inner bulkhead, the uppermost cross-bar and the housing on the visor deck.

The uppermost cross-bar in the visor had heavy impact marks (Figure 8.7). Other cross-bars had lighter marks.
The aft bulkhead of the visor had various damage. In particular the recess for the port side locating horn had been torn completely open in the area below the recess (Figure 8.8). Various impact marks from heavy contact between the visor and the hull were noted with some visor displacement to starboard and upwards.

Figure 8.8 Damage to the recess for the port locating horn.

Both side locking lugs had been torn out of the visor bulkhead, leaving rectangular holes in the plating.
The hinge bushings at the ends of the hinge beams had separated from the beam side plates.
The bottom plates of the hinge beams had pounding and impact marks around the attachment lugs for the visor opening actuators. The lugs for the opening cylinders had score marks on their starboard sides (Figure 8.9).

Figure 8.9 Score marks on the starboard side of the port actuator attachment lugs.

The bottom lock mating lug was stretched and pushed to starboard and the attachment structure cracked at the port side (Figure 8.10).

Figure 8.10 The visor lug for the bottom lock.

The housing on the visor deck had impact damage to the port part of its aft inner wall, including bent and dented bulb bars (Figure 8.7).
The aft edges of the hinge beams and the deck plating of the visor had heavy pounding marks.
The aftmost part of the bulwark plating of the visor on the starboard side and above deck 4 was folded outwards.
The visor lifting actuators had been pulled out of the hull structure, remaining connected to the visor hinge arms.

Continues...

Home Summary Contents Next