Topic: Captain not solely to blame, says prosecutor

According to today's Telegraph, the chief prosecutor in charge of the inquiry has implored investigators to look beyond the behaviour of the captain to the role played by the liner's owners, Costa Cruises.

His comments were published as salvage experts began the difficult task of removing around 2,400 tonnes of fuel from the vessel.



Beniamino Deidda, the prosecutor, said in an interview carried by several Italian newspapers today: "For the moment, attention is generally concentrated on the responsibility of the captain, who showed himself to be tragically inadequate. But who chooses the captain?"

He said investigators needed to avert their gaze to the decisions taken by "the employer; that is to say, the ship's owner".

Deidda, who has spent a large part of his career dealing with health and safety cases, said numerous other issues needed to be addressed.

He specifically mentioned "lifeboats that did not come down, crew who did not know what to do [and] scant preparation in crisis management".

He added that it was "absurd" that in at least one instance, recorded on video after the Costa Concordia was holed, a member of the crew should have told passengers to return to their cabins.

Schettino has also maintained that his employers have a shared responsibility for what happened. Among the questions the inquiry is seeking to answer is why more than an hour elapsed between impact and the order to abandon ship.

Questioned by prosecutors last week, the captain said that he was in frequent contact with a representative of the company during that period.

Schettino and his first officer are the sole formal suspects in the inquiry, which is looking at whether to bring charges of manslaughter and the illegal abandoning of a ship.

On Monday, islanders reported seeing a large fuel slick in the waters off Giglio, which are protected as a marine nature reserve. The fuel, however, is thought by the authorities to have come from the initial impact with a cluster of rocks just south of the port of Giglio.

The official co-ordinating operations on the island said on Monday there was still no evidence that fuel had leaked from the Costa Concordia's tanks.

Unless Maritime Law has changed surely the last word on board is the Captains, whatever previous orders he had received.

Or do owners now have the say in where the ship sails even if the Captain thinks it is unsafe?

I agree Tenpin, I would be very worried if I thought the Captain had to contact HQ , to ask advice on a sinking ship. the captain is always presumed to be in charge and I would hope issue the correct instructions right away.CG

It's curious: Costa claim the Captain did not have their permission to sail that close to the island (this time). Does he need to ask their permission? If so what other decisions do they make for him?

It sounds like he’s dammed if he does not ask them stuff, but lacking in leadership if he does!

I agree its not just the Captain that should be blamed! Yes he must be charged & go on trial for his actions, But Costa also have a case to answer as well in that he is a employee of there's they are the company that trained him & appointed him as Captain & it is the company that decides company policy not the Captain.

There may have been other company policies that the captain had no control over but which contributed to the disaster. For example I'm not sure whether the decision would lie with the captain about the policy of having lifeboat drill on day 2, how the muster actually works regarding where people meet, how it is supervised, how they are moved to lifeboat stations, etc.

Regardless of what the captain may or may not have done there are numerous questions being raised about how the evacuation happened, what training the staff had, incorrect advice being given by staff, etc. It may well be that the training of staff and timing and execution of the drills are all down to the captain but then they may also be down to company policy and central procedures.

The prosecutor is right to highlight the need to look beyond the actions of the captain to the wider issues involved. It's going to be quite an interesting case to follow.

Now Costa are going to be investigated for a previous incident at Sorrento involving Costa Fortuna:
Costa cruise hit rocks in 2005 – and firm tried to cover it up - Europe - World - The Independent

QUOTE:

Now Costa are going to be investigated for a previous incident at Sorrento involving Costa Fortuna:
Costa cruise hit rocks in 2005 – and firm tried to cover it up - Europe - World - The Independent

Report about the Fortuna has been going about the internet for some time, By all accounts it hit a whale which turned into a rock which in turn changed to a small ship.


[QUOTE=History Addict, Alfreton;366939]There may have been other company policies that the captain had no control over but which contributed to the disaster. For example I'm not sure whether the decision would lie with the captain about the policy of having lifeboat drill on day 2, how the muster actually works regarding where people meet, how it is supervised, how they are moved to lifeboat stations, etc.
QUOTE]

HA The drill held on day two complies with the 24hr deadline. all new passengers have to attend boat drill, a red boat drill card is issued and collected by crew, boat drill then takes place on the boat deck.
The same procedures happens to any following passengers collect at other ports mostly on the same day but sometimes the next, if that is the case then arriving passengers are requested to attend a meeting the same evening before sailing for an explaination of the drill to be held to next day.

Oh come on. How can some one in an office steer a ship on to the rocks. Are our cruises controlled by remote from the owners chair. The Captain is in charge, and surely he can overrule any stupid orders from the the ownes, if safety is involved. He has all the technology and instruments right in front of him.
There is one voice I am waiting to hear from, the 2 I/C or second in command., Officer on watch, or whatever he is called, someone else stood on that bridge, and was in command, what was his opinion of the Captains decision to take the course he did.

Hardwickpo.

QUOTE:

Oh come on. How can some one in an office steer a ship on to the rocks. Are our cruises controlled by remote from the owners chair. The Captain is in charge, and surely he can overrule any stupid orders from the the ownes, if safety is involved. He has all the technology and instruments right in front of him.
There is one voice I am waiting to hear from, the 2 I/C or second in command., Officer on watch, or whatever he is called, someone else stood on that bridge, and was in command, what was his opinion of the Captains decision to take the course he did.

Hardwickpo.

On allls hips prior to leaving port the navigator and master get together and draw up something called a passage plan (this is compulsory on all UK reg ships)and I suspect that all other nationalitys do the same.
The plan details all courses and distances from port to port and shows the way points where the ship should alter course plus all shallow depths,and hazards,I am not up with all the modern nav systems,but i suspect that all this data is entered into the ships electronic nav system.
I would think that the staff captain and other bridge officers are doind the sensible thing and keeping their mouths closed until they are up before a court of enquiry.

jim