Bill Would Require Ship Pilots to Carry Electronic Charts

A Congresswoman wants ship pilots to be required to carry their own electronic navigation charts to avoid collisions like the one that dumped 58,000 gallons of fuel into the San Francisco Bay, reports indicated. Federal investigators are looking at what role that played in the Cosco Busan crash on Nov. 7. The pilot told investigators he didn't immediately understand some symbols on the ship's charts prior to sideswiping the Bay Bridge. Legislation introduced Thursday by Democratic Rep. Ellen Tauscher, who sits on the Transportation Committee, would mandate Coast Guard regulations requiring pilots to carry their own electronic chart devices, called Portable Pilot Units. Source: AP