Conflict as tanker hits vessels, infrastructure: 'Don't listen to the pilot'

摘要

American Liberty eased off the dock at the Marathon Oil terminal near Reserve, La., and began to spin 180 degrees in the flooded Mississippi River. Before long, the loaded tanker was drifting in the fast-moving current. The master misunderstood a crucial engine order and later second-guessed the pilot as he tried to bring the ship under control. As the situation became more urgent, the master issued his own engine and rudder commands. The bridge crew began ignoring the pilot's orders altogether. At one point, the pilot repeated a full-astern engine order, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators wrote in their accident report. The master countered with a request of his own. "Full ahead, don't listen to the pilot," he said.