We have reported a great deal here about the Costa Concordia grounding from a variety of angles, trying to bring the most accurate information possible about that tragic event. In a developing story of this magnitude, that’s not always an easy task and many questions still remain unanswered. The world of cruise vacations waits for black box and other forensic evidence that is hoped paint a clear picture of exactly what happened. In the absence of bona fide conclusions drawn by a neutral third-party, press accounts run the gambit. Some are fair and unbiased reports giving credit to established facts and past behavioral patterns. Others are super market check-out, sensational yarns woven from suspicions and public opinion that intentionally tap our emotions. Still, looking through the volumes of writing on this event so far, going through hundreds of reader comments, some stand out as credible and worth consideration.
We begin with a story sent to me by Clint, a fellow passenger on our Seabourn Quest journey not long ago that I got to know. A retired air traffic controller, Clint had a lot of stories about some hair-raising events witnessed over the course of his long career.
A story in today’s Boston Globe asks “Was the Costa Concordia’s Captain a coward?” Written by Patrick Smith, an airline pilot, author, and the host of askthepilot.com provides a thought-provoking answer “Maybe. But that wouldn’t be his worst mistake.”
There are many carry-overs between flying a jet and cruising the high seas. Some of the most common aviation terms are drawn from the nautical world, and the glamorous, nascent days of transoceanic flying provided the ultimate amalgamation of these two realms; Pan Am’s famous Clippers were, technically speaking, flying boats. Thus, as an airline pilot, it’s with unavoidable interest that I followed the plight of the hapless Francesco Schettino, renegade captain of the once majestic, then quite sideways Costa Concordia cruise ship.
Smith goes on to contrast what we think we know of the infamous captain Schettino, that he abandoned the ship or fell into a lifeboat, to captain Chesley Sullenberger who rose to fame when he successfully ditched US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in January of 2009, saving the lives of all 155 people on the aircraft.
In this light, Schettino is the anti-Sully, shuttling himself to safety while hundreds of his passengers remained behind in peril. Captain Chesley Sullenberger and his first officer, remember, stayed in the thick of things, ensuring that all were accounted for before their Airbus sank beneath the icy Hudson River.
A marked difference between the two situations for sure. But Smith cautions against history sentencing Costa’s Schettinoto to be known as the coward captain for all time.
Then again, the whole “down with the ship” thing shouldn’t be romanticized. Whether from a legal or moral perspective, self-sacrifice is a remarkable thing to expect of someone, regardless of his job. Would Schettino’s presence on the capsizing vessel have even made a difference? That’s unclear, but choosing to leave the ship could have been an entirely practical decision. He was not obligated to drown out of some perverse, old-fashioned sense of duty.
Still, a realistic view of what happened is essential.
As it happens, we should be a lot less concerned with Schettino’s post-accident behavior than with his apparent decision to go wandering off course for a thrill. He was reportedly playing it fast and loose with the Concordia’s route, straying close to the rocks to show off to viewers on shore. People’s contempt for airlines is duly noted, but I cannot come up with an airborne analogy for this sort of malpractice. Pilots – along with doctors, astronauts, and everybody else – occasionally make mistakes, it’s true. But, trust me, this sort of thing simply doesn’t happen.
Read the full article in the Boston Globe. I think it is a good one from a sober voice that really makes one think.
Readers share much of the same view too. Some comments came from credentialed readers who know first-hand the difficult situation faced during the Costa Concordia’s evacuation.
Crowd Control is probally the most important factor on a ship or boat.
Having worked on cruise ships for over fifteen years as an entertainer
as well as holding a USCG licence for over fourty years Captaining my
charter boat, you must keep all passengers in controll at all times.
What was needed in my opinion on this ship was GUTS. You either have
it or you don’t. Capt. Nick
Others question the very nature of cruise vacations and what they have become
Ex-USN Commanding Officer. There is an implicit protection of the most
glaring of safety oversights in ships like this. All are “top heavy”
and will roll side-to-side without powered stabilizers working – guess
what fails when a ship loses power and regains only emergency power?
Where are the lifeboats? On each side on weather decks high up. In
almost every scenario imagined, the ship will list after some major
event stopping the ship and/or losing power. Half of the lifeboats
will not work as they are gravity operated. Think about it folks – the
cruise lines will not change this because it would cost immense
amounts of money to put the boats lower in the hull and also use
emergency rafts that automatically launch at depths of 15 ft in water.
But for the most part, readers responding who have actually been cruise passengers, some many times, are not deterred or scared away from going on a cruise because of the Costa Concordia grounding. They do have their opinions though…
MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BEEN ON 57 CRUISES AND FEEL IT NOT ONLY IS THE
SAFEST WAY TO TRAVEL BUT LESS EXPENSIVE THAN LAND AND AIR. IF IT WERE
NOT FOR CRUISING WE WOULD NEVER HAVE SEEN SO MUCH OF THIS WONDERFUL
WORLD WE LIVE IN. ONE ACCIDENT WILL NOT KEEP US FROM THE WONDERFUL
EXPERIENCE OF CRUISING“There are three things I like about being on an Italian cruise ship.
First, their cuisine is unsurpassed. Second, their service is superb.
And then, in time of emergency, there is none of this nonsense about
women and children first.” ~ Noel CowardThis won’t stop me from going on a cruise but they might
want to look into building ships with stronger hulls?I feel bad for those people who did not make it off the ship or were injured trying but I have three cruises booked
right now and have no intention of canceling any of them. This was a freak accidentI’LL CRUISE BUT I’LL HAVE A BALCONY FROM NOW ON, EASIER TO ESCAPE THAT WAY
(OR SO I WILL TELL MY CHEAP HUSBAND WHO ALWAYS WANTS AN INSIDE CABIN)
Finally, even late-night television hosts are talking about the Costa Concordia and her Captain:
Flickr photo by by William Arthur Fine Stationery
Related articles
- Cruise line owner sued for at least $100 million over Costa Concordia (chriscruises.net)
- Costa Concordia, the ship that was (chriscruises.net)
- The Costa Concordia and Tone from the Top (globalcompliance.com)
- Costa Concordia survivors to score £14,000 each (bazaardaily.com)
- Costa Concordia death toll reaches 17 (news.smh.com.au)
