The highly specialized role — in which a pilot temporarily takes control of a ship from its regular captain — is coming under the spotlight this week.
But in the end, maritime experts say, there was likely nothing the pilots could have done to stop the 95,000-ton ship from ploughing into the bridge.
“A ship's captain is a general practitioner, if I was to use a medical term,” Post said.
He or she would be assigned to one ship leaving a port, Post said, and then disembark to board a second, inbound ship.
“They had very little time from the start of the incident until the time they were upon the bridge," Post said.
Persons:
—, Dali, Francis Scott Key, It’s, Allan Post, what’s, didn't, Post, “
Organizations:
National Transportation Safety, Texas, M Maritime Academy, ” Ship, Association of Maryland Pilots, NTSB
Locations:
Galveston, “, U.S, Chesapeake, Baltimore