Pilot of Exxon Valdez Says Captain Seemed Sober on Night of Accident

The crewman who was piloting the Exxon Valdez when it struck a reef in Alaska said in an interview published Saturday that the captain did not appear to be drunk on the night the ship ran aground.

“There was no indication there was anything wrong,” Third Mate Gregory Cousins said in his first interview since the March 24 accident.

Cousins, who Exxon has said was operating the 987-foot ship when it hit the reef, has been on leave at home in Tampa preparing his testimony on the crude oil spill of about 11 million gallons for a National Transportation Safety Board hearing May 16 in Anchorage.

‘Extremely Competent’

Cousins, who described ship Capt. Joseph Hazelwood as “extremely competent,” defended similar statements from other crew members about Hazelwood’s apparent sobriety when the tanker grounded.

“It’s not like we’re circling the wagons. It’s just the truth,” Cousins told the Tampa Tribune.

Hazelwood, of Huntington, N.Y., was fired by Exxon when tests conducted more than 10 hours after the accident showed a blood-alcohol level above the .04% permitted under Coast Guard regulations. He faces trial June 20 in Valdez on charges of operating the vessel while drunk.

Faces License Review

Cousins, who was not certified to navigate Prince William Sound, faces a Coast Guard review of his license and must testify at state and federal trials resulting from the spill.

In the interview, he did not make specific comments on his role during the accident. He told the newspaper he is eager to tell his side of the story but his attorney has advised him to wait for the NTSB hearing.

The oil has moved about 500 miles southwest of Valdez, fouling the shore at the Katmai National Park wildlife refuge and other areas.