Pilot Cites Fatigue for Steering Soviet Liner Onto Rocks

WELLINGTON, New Zealand —  The pilot who steered the Soviet liner Mikhail Lermontov on to rocks off the New Zealand coast in February, 1986, blamed mental and physical exhaustion for his actions, according to inquiry documents.

“In hindsight, the only explanation I can offer for the action I took is that I was suffering from mental and physical exhaustion,” Capt. John Jamison told the inquiry into the sinking.

The accident, which occurred off the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, endangered the lives of more than 700 passengers and crew members who were saved in a dramatic rescue operation.

The ship sank within hours after hitting the rocks but the only fatality was a Soviet crewman who is missing and presumed dead.

Jamison, a New Zealander responsible for guiding the liner out of the harbor, also acknowledged he had been drinking vodka and beer on the day of the disaster.