Ship that struck Brooklyn Bridge was under control of pilot from New York, officials confirm
A pilot from New York was in control at the time the Mexican naval ship crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, officials confirmed Tuesday.
The head of Mexico's navy, Raymundo Pedro Morales, made the announcement a news conference with Mexico's president.
"In particular, in New York, the ship has to be controlled by a specialized harbor pilot from the New York government, so the entire maneuver that the ship made from the moment it left the dock until the collision was under the control of the pilot," Morales said in Spanish.
Morales claimed that the pilot had very little time to act, because the distance from where the ship was docked to the bridge was very short.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is standard practice at ports to have a local pilot board a vessel to help it start its navigation out to sea.
NTSB officials board the ship for the first time Tuesday. The Cuauhtémoc remains docked at Pier A on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Two sailors died and 19 others were injured in the crash.
The NTSB says it will be looking at three components that could have played a role, including crew operations, the condition of the vessel, and the wind and tides. More information will be released in about 30 days.
A prayer vigil is planned for Wednesday night in Brooklyn.
