Baltimore bridge collapse puts the highly specialized role of ship's pilot under the spotlight

Two pilots were at the helm of the cargo ship Dali on Tuesday when it lost power and, minutes later, crashed into a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the bridge to collapse and kill six construction workers. That is putting the highly specialized role — in which a pilot temporarily takes control of a ship from its regular captain — under the spotlight. So far, there is no indication the lead pilot on the Dali did anything wrong. Maritime experts say there was likely nothing the pilots could have done to stop the 95,000-ton ship from ploughing into the bridge.