Representatives of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry attended the American Marine Accident Investigators’ Forum (AMAIF) VIII meeting, held at the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB’s) Training Center in Ashburn, Virginia on 12-13 June 2018. The AMAIF is dedicated to advancing marine safety through the sharing of best practices, experiences, and information acquired in marine accident investigations. The meeting was an opportunity to exchange ideas and to foster cooperation and communication between marine accident investigators. Representatives from the RMI Registry included Hans Molver, Senior Vice President, Investigations and Captain Luiz Augusto de Freitas, Vice President, South America.
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Captain Walter Vera-Tudela de la Gala, Dirección General de Capitanías y Guardacostas (Retired), President of AMAIF. Representatives of the Bahamas, Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama (Panama Maritime Authority and Panama Canal Authority), Peru, the RMI, St. Kitts and Nevis, and the United States (US) (NTSB and the US Coast Guard (USCG)) participated in the meeting.
The meeting was opened by Mr. Morgan Turrel, Deputy Director of NTSB, Office of Marine Safety, who explained the NTSB’s general mission, organization, and objectives in marine safety. In the afternoon session, delegates were welcomed by the NTSB Chairman, Honorable Robert L. Sumwalt, and Mr. Dennis Jones, Managing Director. In his speech, Mr. Robert Sumwalt highlighted the importance of the discussions in the AMAIF and the two critical elements of any accident investigation: independence and transparency. The participants also had the opportunity to debate accidents under pilotage and the human factor, among other topics.
