Report on road traffic accident with military vehicle on county road 6408 Uthaugsveien by Ørland Main Air Station 4 February 2020
Defence report 2021/01
A military armored vehicle of the type Iveco LMV was on patrol on an icy public road near Ørland Air Base on 4 February 2020. As a result of sudden braking from a speed of approx. 35–40 km/h, the 7 tonne car lost its road grip and spun around. The car ended up in the ditch, where it rolled over and came to rest on its roof. The three soldiers in the car sustained only minor injuries in the accident. The investigation has shown that the vehicle skidded as a result of the sudden braking on the slippery track. The Iveco was equipped with studless siped all-weather tyres. The vehicle was exempt from the requirement for winter tyres, and no snow chains were fitted. In addition to the poorly suited tyres for the road conditions, the Iveco's handling characteristics, with a high centre of gravity and short axle spacing, in combination with its weight, contributed to making it very difficult for the driver to regain control of the vehicle. The driver had limited experience of this vehicle before the assignment and had not taken a course in driving on icy roads, neither for this vehicle nor for any other type of heavy vehicle.
The sudden braking happened when the Iveco was about to pass a stationary convoy of military vehicles. Both the driver and the passenger saw a traffic controller for the convoy moving towards the centre of the roadway and into their lane. The Iveco driver's perception of the situation was that the traffic controller was unaware that they were approaching and that rapid braking was necessary in order to avoid hitting the traffic controller.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority has identyfied learning points for improving safety have been identified in several areas within the defence sector organisation:
- The vehicle was initially purchased for use in Afghanistan. The investigation has shown that the vehicle's area of use had been changed since it was first acquired, without this being reflected in the risk assessments carried out by the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency. No risk assessment had been carried out for use of the vehicle on icy public roads.
- The driver of the vehicle was certified as an independent carriage driver. The maneuver school's regulations set out restrictions for assignments on slippery road conditions for drivers who have not taken a course in driving on icy roads. Neither the driver nor the duty officer at the driver's unit was aware of these restrictions at the time of the accident.
- The investigation has not been able to conclude as to whether snow chains would have been helpful in this situation, but several units that use the Iveco LMV find the snow chains that come with the vehicle to be unsuitable for use on ice-covered tarmacked roads.
-The base defence unit at 132 Luftving had laid down a verbal prohibition against using the vehicle on slippery roads because it did not have studded tyres, but neither the duty officer nor the driver was aware of this prohibition on use.
The NSIA issues four safety recommendations following this investigation.
Safety recommendation
Safety recommendation Defence No 2021/01T
The investigation into the accident involving an Iveco LMV near Ørland Air Base on 4 February 2020 has shown that a technical break was taken for the purpose of repairing a defective indicator. stopping the convoy and blocking the lane under the prevailing road conditions without this being strictly necessary. Also, the driver and passenger did not see the hand signals made by the convoy's traffic controller, and the investigation has shown that this may have contributed to the sudden braking by the driver.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority recommends that the Norwegian Armed Forces review their procedures for the planning, execution and management of convoys and military overland transport in general in order to minimize stops in the roadway to necessary stops and ensure satisfactory communication with other road users.
Safety recommendation Defence No 2021/02T
The investigation into the accident involving an Iveco LMV near Ørland Air Base on 4 February 2020 has shown that it was challenging to manoeuvre the vehicle. Drivers are certified for unsupervised driving after level 2 training, which entails little operational training and knowledge about the vehicle's characteristics.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority recommends that the Maneuverschool develop the training of Iveco LMV drivers so that they are familiar with the vehicle's characteristics under all relevant driving conditions before being certified to drive without supervision.
Safety recommendation Defence No 2021/03T
The investigation into the accident involving an Iveco LMV near Ørland Air Base on 4 February 2020 has shown that it was challenging to manoeuvre the vehicle on slippery roads. The Maneuvershool's regulations for military vehicle drivers stipulates requirements for drivers to have completed training in driving on slippery roads before taking part in tactical exercises or operations. The driver in question and the duty officer were not aware of this before the accident.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority recommends that the Norwegian Armed Forces ensure that the regulations for military vehicles are known and followed up by the relevant units.
Safety recommendation Defence No 2021/04T
The investigation into the accident involving an Iveco LMV near Ørland Air Base on 4 February 2020 has shown that it was challenging to manoeuvre the vehicle on slippery roads. Users have found the snow chains provided to be unsuitable for use on ice-covered tarmacked surfaces. The vehicle had been granted an exemption from the requirement for winter tyres because it was registered as primarily an off-road vehicle. The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency's Land Systems Division had approved the use of Iveco LMV for driving on public roads in winter without implementing compensatory measures.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority recommends that the NDMA's Land Systems Division, in cooperation with the Maneuverschool, test the safety characteristics of Iveco LMV at low friction and consider whether compensatory measures are needed.
Facts
| Location | Ørland flystasjon |
| Occurrence date | 04.02.2020 |
| Category of Occurrence | Incident |
| Defence branch | Norwegian Air Force |