The crew at the helm of an ill-fated B.C. ferry missed 12 minutes-worth of crucial checks, something an expert mariner has told court was a catastrophic dereliction of duty.
Andrew Flotre has 23 years of piloting experience and told the trial the officer with control of the ship is responsible for navigation and safety, a point that leaves BC Ferries officer Karl Lilgert negligent for the 2006 sinking of the Queen of the North.
Flotre says while errors are always possible at night or in inclement weather, the officer in charge should have reduced the ship’s speed and conducted checks every two minutes to ensure the ship stayed its correct route if navigators had lost visibility.
Court has heard the Queen of the North was travelling at a speed of 17 to 18 knots for at least 12 minutes after it went off its planned course — what Flotre says is an extraordinary amount of time for the ship to be hurdling through the night.
In March 2006, the ferry collided with Gil Island, resulting in a frantic evacuation of about 99 passengers, leaving two passengers unaccounted for.
The trial continues Monday, with the defence’s cross examination of Flotre.
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