Petaluma ship pilot pleads guilty in SF Bay spill

<p><WC1>SAN FRANCISCO — The Petaluma pilot at the helm of the cargo ship that caused a massive oil spill in the San Francisco Bay pleaded guilty Friday to two environmental crimes. </p><p>Capt. John Cota entered his plea to the illegal discharge of oil and killing birds in San Francisco. federal court.</p><p>Cota’s attorney said the pilot faces at much as 10 months in prison. </p><p>The 900-foot Cosco Busan slammed into the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in heavy fog on Nov. 7, 2007 and spilled 54,000 gallons of oil that killed and injured thousands of birds. </p><p>The National Transportation Safety Board said last month that Cota’s prescription medications impaired his performance, but it also blamed other factors for the crash including a poorly trained crew.</p>