In our industry we don't always get the management of accident investigations quite right and standards vary significantly across the globe. However, the frenzy of accusation and finger-pointing (mostly at the beleagured captain) in the wake of the grounding of the Costa Concordia on a tiny island off the Italian coast is almost beyond belief. State officials have already publicly released transcripts and recordings of telephone conversations with Captain Schettino during the abandonment and his employers have openly condemned him. The media of course just love it! It may well be that he messed up and pretty badly too but where is the due process of accident investigation? We at least have ICAO Annexe 13 to guide the conduct of an investigation but I have been too long away from shipping to know whether there is an IMO equivalent (does anyone know?) - if not then it is high time there was.
Going back to the shipping line who employed him, they must surely take some responsibility for their man. They selected him, hired him, trained him and promoted him - if he was intrinsically flawed then how didn't they notice? To step away and brand him as a rogue is to ignore the company's part in putting him in command of their ship.
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