6.7 The knowledge about the fatigue crack ?

According to seacaptain Ivar Garbergs later notes the presence of the fatigue crack in bracing D6 was known to people high up in the operating company Stavanger Drilling weeks before the disaster. In desember 1981 information was disclosed that <<Kielland's>>deceased seacaptain Sæd had reported about cracks on the platform. This was likely from inspection onboard during seacaptain Sæd's stay on <<Kielland>> in Januar/Februar 1980.

The Stavanger police was informed about this information, however, their investigation,questioning of people likely to know, did not substantiate the information.

Facts supporting mr. Sæd's knowledge is his behaviour observed during the capsizing of the rig on March 27 1980. When the rig tilted witnesses observed mr. Sæd running "the wrong way". Was this because his knowledge about the fatigue crack told him what possibly could have happened and he felt responsible to investigate the dammage in order to take proper action ? Mr. Sæd was reported to be a conscious and well balanced person not likely to overreact during critical situations.

Why was the question about the knowledge of the fatigue crack not adressed before late 1981 ? In Oct. 1981 the former labour government had been replaced by the conservatives who won the 1981 election. The <<Kielland-foudation>> was strongly advocating for a new uprighting, An uprighting which if successful could disclose the real cause of the disaster, the explosion in upper part of bracing D4, and which cover operation already had beeen going on since March 1980. The only known official cause of the disaster so far was the fatigue crack in D6. Divulging information about the likely predisaster knowledge about the fatigue crack would put the focus on why action was not taken in time to avoid the disaster. Not knowing about the explosion in D4, the blame would be put on everybody involved in asessing how critical the D6 fatigue crack was for the integrity of the platform during the period of time, weeks, before <<Kielland>> was to be replaced by <<Henrik Ibsen>>.

As such the predisaster knowledge about the fatigue crack had to be tuned down which also was in the interest of the people behind the sabotage.