It’s Baltimore. What are the odds that the pilot was some union/DEI hire who usually slept through the transit? Once again, I know nothing about ships or bridges.
Very low odds. Pilot associations are known for nepotism and chronyism. They are nigh impossible for an outsider to crack and generally beyond outside influence.
There were TWO pilots on board, the fact (again) it went dark before ramming the bridge, certainly points to loss of way and steerage with no way of stopping a ship that large.
Don't tugs escort ships past obstacles?
Ships are not required to have tugboat escorts when passing under the Francis Scott Key Bridge so they have limited ability to slow down on their own when they lose power and can not put the propeller into reverse.
According to past photos, she is equipped with a bow thruster. However, these are not typically connected to emergency power systems. Even if it were engaged, bow thrusters are designed for slow-speed maneuvers and have a limited ability to push the bow into the wind when the ship’s speed exceeds 5 knots.
