The circumstances of the death of the floating two-tower dock PD-50
Chilling details
In 2018, the heavy aircraft cruiser Admiral Fleet Soviet Union Kuznetsov ”got up for repairs, which was supposed to be completed in 2021. In October of the same year, the PD-50 two-tower floating dock, in which there was a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser, sank. The cruiser was towed to the berth of the 35th shipyard.
The circumstances of the death of the floating dock were overgrown with rumors. The media wrote that the cruiser took several thousand tons of water. The chilling details were relished: “... the warship was saved by the well-coordinated work of the crew that remained on board during the repair, which promptly began the struggle for survivability and saved it from flooding, despite the flow of water through the open overboard fittings and holes made during the repair.” There were rumors that the emergency diesel generator of the floating dock at the time of the dive was faulty, the cruiser screws sank along with the PD-50.
Truth in court
To establish the truth, the author of the article turned to judicial practice. Courts, as a rule, publish all their decisions on websites. The decision of the Oktyabrsky District Court of the city of Murmansk in civil case No. 2-745 / 2019, which contains a chronology of the circumstances of the accident at PD-50, was no exception. The lawsuit was filed to the State Labor Inspectorate in the Murmansk Region by 82 Ship Repair Plant JSC with the aim of declaring it illegal and canceling the conclusion and order of the inspection as a result of the investigation of an accident that occurred with a technician (fireman) of the first category of the plant.
The court found that the 29.10.2018 JSC 82 Ship Repair Plant carried out a docking operation. Dock surgery is a very complex process. When a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser was led out, a dock operation could take tens of hours. It includes the elimination of leaks revealed during inspections on welds, plugs, bottom-stop valves, valolines (the cruisers' screws were removed and the valolines were unloaded). During these operations, the PD-50 was to be in a position submerged in a certain draft.
29.10.2018 in 16.45 PD-50 began the dive. The 19.15 dive was stopped to inspect the cruiser, then the PD-50 continued the dive. At 22.20, the dock crew members felt a push in the dock hull, after which the power supply to the equipment and lighting was cut off. The emergency diesel generator started up and emergency lighting automatically turned on. Doc tipped to starboard. The rapid flow of water into the dock body led to the fact that the crew did not have time to take their places in full force. The head of the dock, having learned from the shift mechanic that water is entering the dock body at a fast pace, decided to evacuate the dock crew to the pier.
Corrosion of metal
A digression is needed here. For almost four decades of operation, the PD-50 sections have not been docked. Experience shows that maintaining the design characteristics of old floating docks, including carrying capacity, requires huge capital investments. Damage characteristic of many steel floating docks can also include excessive corrosion, up to the through, structural elements in the upper part of the pontoons. The PD-50 towers, which, under operating conditions for a long period of time were above the ballast level, corroded in sea water vapor. Corrosion of elements located below the level of ballast and in contact with it proceeded much more slowly.
Most likely, due to the deterioration during the dive, the lining of the PD-50 tower was deformed, the gushing stream of water increased the bank and the dock sank. At the same time, the right crane damaged the deck of the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov.
Sank during
Having studied the court decision, we can conclude that PD-50 drowned during the dock operation. Information about the flow of water through openboard fittings and the holes made during the repair in the hull of the Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov heavy aircraft carrier cruiser, the presence of removed screws in the floating dock due to the planned dive of the PD-50, most likely, do not correspond to reality, although it is possible were leaking. The cruiser screws were to be in the workshop of the shipyard. Judging by publications in the media, the heavy aircraft carrier did not receive significant damage, the damage caused was estimated at 70 million rubles.
In the future, PD-50 awaits recovery in parts and disposal, as it impedes shipping. It is not a question of repairing it due to deterioration and damage resulting from impact on the ground.
Information