AGENDA RELEASED FOR PUBLIC HEARING ON CONTAINER SHIP/BAY BRIDGE ACCIDENT

[NTSB Press Releases <NTSBPressReleases@xxxxxxxx>]

Title: AGENDA RELEASED FOR PUBLIC HEARING ON CONTAINER SHIP/BAY BRIDGE ACCIDENT

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                      NTSB PRESS RELEASE
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National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 3, 2008
SB-08-12

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AGENDA RELEASED FOR PUBLIC HEARING ON CONTAINER SHIP/BAY
BRIDGE ACCIDENT

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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.

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NTSB Media Contact: Peter Knudson
(202)  314-6100
peter.knudson@xxxxxxxx

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