December 6, 2007

Bar pilot accused of misconduct

It's odd that with all the condemnations and inquiries going on around the SF Bay oil spill, legislators have said relatively little about the one person involved who was the most responsible for what happened: the pilot who was guiding the ship when it sideswiped a support beneath the Bay Bridge.

Today, Capt. John Cota was accused of misconduct by the Board of Pilot Commissioners, a state-authorized panel that oversees a monopoly of about 60 pilots who, by law, are required to guide big ships in and out of San Francisco Bay.

Here is what the commission said about the pilot's performance:

"Captain Cota is charged with having reason to doubt whether the ship could safely proceed under the prevailing circumstances and proceeding on his course with insufficient information about the level of visibility along his intended route. He is also charged with proceeding at a speed that was excessive for the circumstances and failing to make full use of all available resources, including a tugboat, the Vessel Traffic Service of the Coast Guard, and his ship's lookout. The tug remained tethered to the ship's stern; the Vessel Traffic Service of the Coast Guard could have provided more information if Capt. Cota had requested it; and the ship's lookout could have been better instructed. The charges allege that Captain Cota's conduct warrants the suspension or revocation of his state pilot license.

Posted by dweintraub on December 6, 2007 3:22 PM