FERRY CRASH PROBE FAULTS CITY:

A federal safety board sharply criticized New York City and the Coast Guard in the 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash that killed 11 passengers, saying tougher medical screening of ferry captains and safer operating procedures were needed. The National Transportation Safety Board said the city’s oversight was partly to blame for the crash, but stopped short of saying the Coast Guard’s current system directly caused the deadly Oct. 15, 2003, accident.

NTSB chairwoman Ellen Engleman Conners said the crash “was a wake-up call to all modes of transportation,” and that closer review was needed of the effect of certain prescription drugs on transportation workers.

In its report, the NTSB said better emergency drills, training of ship crews and safety management systems are needed. It recommended that New York City use GPS and electronic mapping technology to alert pilots who may veer off course. New York City Commissioner of Transportation Iris Weinshall said the city had already adopted some of the recommendations.