Advertisement
Advertisement
Lamma ferry crash
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
Defence witness Dr Rafal Goralski (inset) backed up his testimony, made in support of Lamma IV skipper Chow Chi-wai, using a 3D simulation programme he developed. Photos: Sam Tsang, Linkedin

Lamma IV turned faster as crash with Sea Smooth neared, ex-Nato consultant tells court

Software created by an ex-Nato consultant is demonstrated in court to show how Hongkong Electric ferry tried to avoid 2012 collision

Thomas Chan

The ill-fated Hongkong Electric ferry Lamma IV turned right and sped up seconds before colliding with a catamaran on National Day in 2012, a former Nato project consultant told the High Court yesterday, where the captains of both vessels are on trial.

The crash cost the lives of 39 people, all passengers on board the Lamma IV.

Defence witness Dr Rafal Goralski backed up his testimony, made in support of Lamma IV skipper Chow Chi-wai, using a 3D simulation programme he developed.

In front of a nine-strong jury, he showed his simulation of the courses taken by the Lamma IV passenger launch and Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry's Sea Smooth, based on the available navigation data of both vessels.

The Lamma IV began turning right at 20:18 and 15 seconds, he said. "From 20:19.34, it starts turning to starboard at an accelerating rate and continues to do so until the moment of collision [at 20:20.20]," Goralski said.

The prosecution has criticised Chow's response to the impending collision, in terms of the degree of change in direction and the timing of that change, as "too little, too late".

Chow had merely turned the Lamma IV "slightly to starboard" at about 20:19.10, and the crash took place at about 20:20.17, according to prosecutors.

Goralski, a Polish software expert, heads the marine systems division of London-listed Software Radio Technology.

He has had consulting and research roles at various institutions, including Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Nato. At the transatlantic security alliance, he was consultant of a data management project.

Goralski's simulation software merged radar data with that from the Sea Smooth's automatic identification system, transforming the information into a dynamic 3D display.

The programme showed the Lamma IV turning to starboard a few times before the collision, which Goralski estimated occurred at 20:20.20.

He described the passenger launch's right turn as "quite visible" at 20:19.06, and as being made at an "accelerating rate" from 20:19.34.

The Sea Smooth, on the other hand, maintained a steady course "swinging from side to side a bit" until 20:18.48 - at which it turned "visibly" to port, the software expert said.

"[At 20:19.59], it turns to port at an accelerating rate and continues to do so until 20:20.16, and its course stabilises until the moment of collision," Goralski said, demonstrating the simulation.

Earlier, a prosecution witness had said the Sea Smooth made a "deadly turn to port" before the collision, and that its manoeuvres bore "a very significant majority" of the responsibility for the accident.

Chow, 58, and Sea Smooth skipper Lai Sai-ming, 56, have each pleaded not guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter and two counts of endangering the safety of others at sea. Lai's barrister, Audrey Campbell-Moffat SC, starts cross-examining Goralski today before deputy High Court judge Mr Justice Brian Keith.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Lamma IV defence hinges on seconds
Post