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In covering the recent San Francisco Bay Bridge incident I have noticed most (but not all) of the news articles have made a small error in terminology. In describing the incident where the Cosco Busan hit the Bay Bridge many prominent news organizations referred to event as a collision when in fact it was an allision.

For clarification: A vessel collides with another moving vessel…. A vessel allides with a fixed object (unless it is submerged) and is presumed at fault.

Marine Dictionary – Allision

For those interested in learning more about the allision here are some good links;

• San Francisco Bay Bridge – gCaptain coverage
• Ooops! Container Ship Collides with SF Bay Bridge
• Bridge Left Undamaged
• Chief Engineer Underestimates Environmental Impact
• Two Coasts – Two Allisions | MAREX
• Official Coast Guard Cosco Busan Updates (right column)
• Shipping firms to pay for oil spill
• San Francisco Shuts Beaches After Ship Spills Fuel
  

For future articles stay tuned with our Maritime News Discoverer’s Upcoming Links

Here is a photo of the environmental damage;

Kurt Rogers / San Francisco Chronicle

Update:

We received an excellent email on the subject from fellow SUNY Maritime alumni John A. Tylawsky;

Allision is a violent striking (such as in a collision) with a fixed object.
This is in contrast with “vessel contact” with a fixed object such as would
be made with bridge fenders in the ordinary course of say a tug and barge
passing under a bridge.

Bridge owners would prefer to classify all vessel/bridge interactions as
“allisions” when fender systems have not been maintained and simply fall
apart upon incidental contact, or were never properly designed.

The right of navigation generally supercedes the right of the bridge to
obstruct the waterway. Bridge fenders are intended to protect the vessel,
not the bridge. Congress allowed the bridge to be constructed with the
provision that navigation would not be interfered with.

Under the “Oregon Rule” the burden of proof is on the moving vessel to prove
that the allision was the stationary object’s fault. This might be shown,
for example, if the fender was encroaching upon the navigation channel
either from damage, or in some cases because it was not built or repaired
according to the permit.

John A. Tylawsky, P.E.
Consulting Marine Engineer
Board Certified Forensic Engineer
www.marinesafetycenter.com

Thanks John for the clear explanation.

Related Articles:

1. Pilotage Paradox – A Look Into The Cosco Busan Allision
2. NTSB Releases Final Report on Cosco Busan Allision