Coast Guard begins hearing on Texas oil spill

The tanker pilot's attempts to regain control of the ship by speeding up, pulling an emergency stop and throwing an anchor down at full-speed all proved fruitless, first pilot Capt. Charles Bancroft said. At the last moment, it became clear the Eagle Otome would collide with the tugboat, the Dixie Vengeance.

The tanker leaked 462,000 gallons of crude oil into the Sabine Neches Waterway off the Gulf Coast city of Port Arthur, forcing the waterway's temporary closure and harming some marine life but not causing any injuries.

The pilots of both vessels were aware they were close to one another on Jan. 23, but audio recordings and testimony indicate they initially thought they would be able to pass one another safely. Just moments before the collision, they had a calm conversation and even shared an off-color joke.

But Capt. Pallava Shukla, who was master of the Eagle Otome tanker that morning, testified he had become increasingly concerned about the ship's situation and had noticed it was having difficulty recovering from strong winds that were pushing the vessel too far to the west side of the narrow channel. The west side of the channel is reserved for a ship that needs to pass alongside from the other direction, he said.

Visibility, Shukla testified, was "very, very" poor and he noticed at one point the ship was turning too sharply and tried to help the pilot correct the angle.

There were two pilots aboard the tanker, as is mandatory when maneuvering such ships through the narrow waterway. The pilots are local professionals brought on board to move large vessels through narrow, inland, shallow waterways, such as the Sabine channel. Two pilots are required to relieve one another through what can be a five- to eight-hour long journey.

The Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the collision. No conclusions will be reached at the end of the public hearing, which could take up to 10 days. At the end of the investigation, the two agencies will make recommendations aimed at improving waterway safety.

The Eagle Otome and the tugboat were in contact with one another ahead of the collision and discussed passing arrangements.

Bancroft told the tugboat he was heading toward a bridge.