An administrative law judge has suspended Pilot John C. McCarthy III's license Friday for eight months, with additional 12 months probation, after ruling that the Coast Guard proved its case of negligence and misconduct against him. The judge's decision stemmed from a March 14, 2006, incident on the Savannah River where the tank vessel Charleston, piloted by McCarthy, passed the liquefied natural gas facility on Elba Island at a speed in excess of 14 knots during an LNG transfer. The surge resulting from the vessel's speed caused an emergency dock shutdown, cargo hose separations, the collapse of a gangway, and mooring lines to part. All emergency equipment at the LNG facility functioned as designed and no LNG was released as a result of the damage.
