John Cota, the infamous San Francisco bar pilot who crashed the Cosco Busan into the Bay Bridge in 2007, is suing the U.S. Coast Guard to get his license back.
In the lawsuit, which is cited in a report by the San Francisco Chronicle, John Cota and his legal team claim that in 2008 the Coast Guard tricked him into surrendering his credentials in a “sham” voluntary agreement, then found bogus reasons not to renew them.
The NTSB final report on the 2007 allision found that John Cota had “degraded cognitive performance from his use of impairing prescription medications”, among other contributing causes, but also mentioned a the U.S. Coast Guard’s failure to “provide adequate medical oversight of the pilot in view of the medical and medication information that the pilot had reported to the Coast Guard” as a contributing factor. Cota was eventually sentenced to 10 months in prison after pleading guilty to two misdemeanor charges of illegally discharging oil in the bay and killing thousands of birds.
In February 2012, the U.S. Coast Guard denied Cota’s appeal to regain his credentials, citing that Cota “did not meet the medical standards and the professional qualifications requirements for renewal” and another kernel of information; his criminal record from his conviction in the Cosco Busan spill.
Cota and his team of lawyers, on the other hand, thought differently and in May 2012 were quietly working through the Coast Guard appeals process and considering ‘all options’ that would allow him to sail commercially again, including a lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed in Oakland on Friday, according to the SF Chronicle report.
[B]San Francisco Chronicle Report: Cosco Busan pilot sues to return to bay
Maybe he can hook up with his bro, Shittino (Costa Concordia) and they can call the waaaaaaaaaambulance.
1-800-SUX-2BEU
What prescription was this turkey on? Oh snap, he was on as many as 19 medications when he ran that ship into the bridge and he didn’t disclose most of them.
from the article: “It’s never been proved” that the medications Cota was taking contributed to the accident, Meadows said. "He didn’t have any of those drugs they are claiming he took in his system (and) he had a full night’s sleep. There was nothing wrong.
The article also says he was on or prescribed as many as 19 medications.
Give me a fcking break, nineteen medications? They couldn’t find most of them in his system why- was it because there was no test available? or did he take them ala carte?- in other words, he was non compliant with proper use? And this had no effect on his cognitive skills? On the quality of his sleep? Come on. I was on three and eliminated two so I could take my CG physical and believe me that was a rather painful process but I am better off without them anyway. Everyone should review their pharmaceuticals. My mother was on a shitload of medications and she was able to winnow out almost half of them because the interactions were making her sick.
the very fact that this jackleg failed to report what he was on is grounds alone for revocation, from everything I have been told.
[QUOTE=c.captain;98585]Got to add him to some hall of shame on gCaptain with Walbridge, Schettino and Watson. What an immense gaping chasm of an anus this clown is?
How does any man develop such shameless hubris and arrogance? Are they just born with it?[/QUOTE]
Well to be fair, women can be just as arrogant, we but tend to display it just a little differently most of the time.
I know there are privacy (HIPAA) regs in place but I am dying to know what Cota was taking. Up to nineteen meds, a good pharmacist will tell you what the interactions will be. Or discontinuation symptoms. Etc.
I wish I could report a former doctor of mine because he bragged to me about prescribing antidepressants to Navy pilots. I could never prove it though. Assholes like that should go directly to the ninth circle of Hell, no passing Go or collecting 200 dollars.
Nothing wrong except for the whole running into the bridge thing, sure.
Does anyone know the details of this supposed “voluntary agreement” to surrender his documents? I was always under the impression that under no circumstance do you freely turn over your credentials; if they want them there’s a due process for that and it will be a judge, not an investigator that will make the order. Was this guy just an idiot? naive? or is there more to the story?
I feel that the Coast Guard is doing the right thing in this case to rid the waterways from idiots like this, Take the hint John Cota, and get another occupation!, The US Coast Guard and the U.S Mariner can cope without you buddy!!
also when the HR department runs a check on your credentials you will look so stupid…and you will hear “there are no jobs at this time!” Moving right along John Cota your an idiot!!
