Concordia Crewman Asked For Close Pass Of Isle

GROSSETO, Italy (AP) – A Costa Concordia crew member has testified that the captain was disappointed he hadn’t sailed near enough to a Tuscan island and wanted to get even closer on a second try, an attempt that ended in a shipwreck that killed 32. Maitre d’ Antonello Tievoli testified Tuesday at Captain Francesco Schettino’s manslaughter trial that he had asked the captain to sail close to the island of Giglio, as a favor to his family who live there.

Tievoli said Schettino obliged on Jan. 6, 2012, but decided the Concordia hadn’t been close enough and ordered his No. 2 officer to plot a closer route next time. Exactly a week later, the Concordia smashed into a reef off Giglio and capsized. Schettino has blamed the helmsman for the botched maneuver.