A10
‘A flash of some sort,’ then the decision to abandon the rig
by Theresa Vargas
kenner, la. —Speaking for the first time publicly, Deepwater Ho- rizon Captain Curt Kuchta de- scribed a two-day period in which he went from vacationing at his home in Baltimore to jumping 75 feet into the Gulf of Mexico. He was in a life raft as an oil-fueled fire claimed the vessel under his charge, taking with it men under his command. Kuchta, who became the Deep-
water Horizon’s captain in June 2008, spoke Thursday afternoon before a panel convened to inves- tigate the disaster that left 11 men dead and is responsible for the largest oil spill in U.S. history. He was asked to go back to that
day, April 20. Kuchta said he left Baltimore, where he had been for three weeks, on Monday, the 19th. By Tuesday afternoon he had arrived via helicopter on the vessel. The night of the incident, he said, Kuchta was on the bridge
S
KLMNO
Captain testifies at oil-spill inquiry
with executives from BP and Transocean. They were using a simulator — “Basically, to put it bluntly, it’s a video game,” he said — when he noticed something was wrong: “I saw mud in the water.” Kuchta was looking out the
port-side window and ran to the other side. There was mud there, too. “It all happened so quickly . . . gas alarms,” he said “A flash of some sort, which obviously set off our explosion. Fire.” Jimmy Harrell, the offshore in-
stallation manger, arrived on the bridge. Kuchta said he asked Har- rell if the Emergency Disconnect System (EDS) should be activated and he gave the okay. But it was too late. It didn’t work. “I looked outside and saw the fuel to the fire wasn’t slowing down. . . . Something had gone wrong,” Kuchta said. There was nothing left to do
“It all happened so quickly . . . gas alarms.”
— Curt Kuchta, Deepwater Horizon
captain
but abandon the rig. When Kuch- ta and others, including an in- jured man on a stretcher, arrived at the lifeboat station they found the boats were gone, he said. They decided to inflate a life
raft. The injured man was put on it, followed by a few other work- ers. It was loaded with a fraction of the people it was designed to carry when it started to go down. “Instead of bringing it back up,
I decided to jump,” Kuchta said. Once he hit the water, he said
he started swimming toward the raft. At one point, it was caught and needed to be cut free. The raft was “dark and smoky,” so instead of looking for a knife on that craft, Kuchta said, he jumped again. He swam to another craft, got a knife and swam back. Asked if the crew was pres- sured to speed up the drilling process, Kuchta said he wasn’t aware it was behind schedule. “Again, I was gone three weeks,” he said. For some questions, Kuchta had no answer. “It’s been a long five weeks,” he told the panel. “Those types of questions a few weeks ago would not be a prob- lem. But as you can imagine, it’s been a difficult few weeks.”
vargast@washpost.com
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FRIDAY, MAY 28, 2010
LINDA DAVIDSON/THE WASHINGTON POST
Ray Pittman, 21, purchases a fare at the Largo Metro station before skateboarding home in Largo. Most of the fare increases, which many riders have been resigned to, will take effect by July 1.
SmarTrip users catch slight break
metro from A1
on
washingtonpost.com
member Jim Graham, who is also on the D.C. Council. Metro officials and board mem- bers said they thought that the fare increase is the largest in Met- ro’s history.
Riders responded to news of the increases — most of which will take effect by July 1 — with a mix of frustration and resigna- tion, reflecting a broad consensus at earlier public hearings that fare hikes were better than service cuts. Metro officials said that the new “peak-of-the-peak” charge cannot be implemented until Au- gust because of the complicated programming and testing in- volved. On Thursday afternoon, several commuters at the Farragut North Station said they were perplexed over the need to pay more. “Didn’t they just raise fares?
They need to explain themselves,” said Justin Wilson, 27, a compli- ance officer for Travelex Currency Services on K Street NW. “Every- one is suffering right now,” said Wilson, who lives near Union Sta- tion and commutes downtown by bus or train.
Rosalina Rivera, who sells cof-
fee at Caribou Coffee on L Street NW, said she already pays $7 a day to ride the Red Line from the For- est Glen Station near her home in Silver Spring to downtown and back. “I won’t be able to pay more,” she said. “It’s going to be very hard for me.”
Board members acknowledged
that the fare increase will be an unwelcome burden. “The big is- sue of the budget is how much we will ask from the customers — it is a lot,” said Catherine M. Hudgins, a Virginia representative on the board. The fare increase will make up well over half of the $189 million shortfall in Metro’s $1.4 billion 2011 operating budget. Metro offi- cials attribute the gap largely to lower-than-expected ridership because of the recession and un- employment. Transit agencies across the country are wrestling with lower revenue and budget deficits. The board’s decision to raise fares was part of an agreement on key elements of a plan to fill the budget gap, including $25.3mil- lion in additional contributions from Maryland, the District and Virginia localities that help fund Metro’s
operations. Nearly
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$30 million will be borrowed from Metro’s capital funds to pay for preventive maintenance.
The nitty-gritty behind the board’s decisions
Listen in on deliberations at the Metro board meet-
ing; peruse the budget proposal.
washingtonpost.com/local
Several board members said
they were reluctant to borrow from capital funds, and the board approved an amendment in- structing Metro officials to devise a plan to repay capital dollars that are used for operations, as well as to avoid similar borrowing in the fiscal 2012 budget. “A lot of folks are not happy about the preventive mainte- nance” borrowing, said Chris Zimmerman, another board member from Virginia. But over- all, he said, the budget represents “a pretty good compromise.” The board’s guidance on the
budget and fares will allow Met- ro’s staff to begin notifying the public of the increases, revising signs and preparing fare ma- chines for the changes, as well as to craft a final budget document that board members say they have agreed to approve on June 24. Rail fare increases — including peak and discounted off-peak fares — will bring in an estimated $76.9million in additional rev- enue, according to Metro data. Bus fare increases will produce about $24.7million in additional revenue. Changes include raising the cost of the weekly bus pass from $11 to $15 and nearly dou- bling the fare on shuttles that serve Dulles International and Baltimore-Washington Interna- tional Marshall airports from $3.10 to $6. The boarding charge on express buses will increase from $3 to $3.65 for SmarTrip us- ers and to $3.85 for cash custom- ers. Fares for MetroAccess, the shared ride service for disabled and elderly people who cannot ride regular buses, will increase to twice the equivalent fixed-route fare, to a maximum of $7 per one- way trip. Additional surcharges of $2, $3, $4 or $5 will apply for lon- ger MetroAccess trips through four outer zones, but the total fare will not exceed $7 for any trip, Benjamin said. The MetroAccess fare increases will bring in an esti- mated $1.2 million in additional revenue. Metro’s mounting budget def- icits represent only one of several daunting challenges faced by a
The changes ahead
Rail
Peak period boarding charge (less than three miles) rises from $1.65 to $1.95 Peak-of-the-peak pricing of an additional 20 cents a trip between the hours of 7:30 and 9 a.m. and 4:30 to 6 p.m. For the first time, rail customers who use cash will pay more. Metro wants to encourage use of SmarTrip cards.
Bus
The bus boarding charge will increase from $1.25 to $1.50 for SmarTrip users and from $1.35 to $1.70 for cash customers. SmarTrip boarding charge on express buses rises from $3 to $3.65; for cash customers, $3.85.
MetroAccess
Fare increase to twice the equivalent fixed-route fare, up to a maximum per trip of $7. Additional surcharges of $2, $3, $4 or $5, for each of four successive zones that define longer trips.
Other changes
Reserved parking fees will increase from $55 to $65 a month. Other parking fees will not change. Annual fee for renting a bicycle locker will increase from $70 to $200. Time limit for rail-to-bus transfers will decrease from three to two hours.
* Base fares do not reflect a 10-cent surcharge implemented Feb. 28.
transit agency that has reeled over the past year from a string of fatal accidents, including June’s Red Line crash, which killed nine people. Also plaguing Metro have been high-level staff vacancies and turnover, including the resig- nation of General Manager John B. Catoe Jr. Michael Wasson, 30, who rides
from Cleveland Park to a job near Union Station, said he’ll be paying more for a transit system he feels he’s been misled to believe is real- ly being improved. Service often is delayed for track and mainte- nance work, “and the announce- ments always go out that the sys- tem is being upgraded,” he said. “My position would be, if we need to pay a little more, that’s fine, but is this really paying for Metro to be upgraded? The cars are a sweatbox. They’re crowded, especially when crowds come back from a game on weekend nights. Are higher fares going to improve anything? I don’t see it.”
tysona@washpost.com reinl@washpost.com
If it’s happening on a
Washington area stage,
You’ll find it on this page
25
B
THEATRE
MENAGERIE
By TennesseeWilliams
B
SILVER SPRING STAGE
THE GLASS
“Mother calls them a glass menagerie!
Oh,be careful—if you breathe, it breaks!”
Sept 11 –Oct 4
10145 Colesville Rd H near Beltway exit 30
www.ssstage.org 301-593-6036
Fri, Sat@8, Sun@2on 9/20 & 10/4
Woodmoor Shopping Center
OLNEYTHEATRE CENTER
A Passion for Justice: An Encounter with
CLARENCE DARROW
Starring Paul Morella
EXTENDEDTHRU SEPT. 13!
TONIGHTAT 8PM
Tickets: $26-$49
TKTS/INFO: 301.924.3400
olneytheatre.org
DUBLIN CAROL
studiotheatre.org • 202-332-3300
by Conor McPherson
"Aching poignancy..." -TheWash.Post "Excellent!"
-Dcist.com
Scena Theatre
featuring Ted van Griethuysen directed by Joy Zinoman by Harold Pinter
Ton.&Tom. 8pm; Sun.3pm
Join us Sat. for our "Irish Wake"!!
TKTS/INFO: 703-683-2824
or
www.scenatheatre.org
WOOLLYMAMMOTH
A new play set in Liberia by the co-writer/performer of
In the Continuum
ECLIPSED
By Danai Gurira, dir. by Liesl Tommy
Preview Tonight! 8pm
202-393-3939 •
woollymammoth.net
n Tue–Fri at 8, Sat at6&9,Sun at3&7 x
Student Rush TicketsAvailable
TKTS: 202-467-4600 / GROUPS: 202-416-8400
www.kennedy-center.org/shearmadness
Rep Stage
WITTENBERG
By David Davalos
Starring Doctor Faustus,Hamlet and Martin Luther!
“…fiendishly entertaining!”– Balt. City Paper
Now– September 13
THE FOREIGNER
Directed by Frank Pasqualino
Sep 12 – Oct 3, 2009
Start the Fall with this Comedy from Larry Shue
Box Office:703-683-0496
Online:
www.thelittletheatre.com
Home delivery makes good sense.
1-800-753-POST
SF
Wed@2,Wed/Thur/Sun@7, Fri/Sat@8, Sat/Sun@2:00
TKTS/INFO: 410-772-4900
www.repstage.org
Home delivery makes good sense.
1-800-753-POST
SF
B
CONCERTS
B
The Society of the Cincinnati and TheWashington International PianoArts Council present
TZU-FENG LIU, pianist
Playingworks by Chopin & Beethoven
Saturday, Sept. 5
1:30 p.m. IFree Admission
2118MasschusettsAve.,NW,Washington,DC
Seating is limited; doors open at 1 p.m. The Society of the Cincinnati
INFO: 202-785-2040
www.societyofthecincinnati.org
Home delivery makes good sense.
1-800-753-POST
"Shrieks of laughter night after night."
-TheWashington Post
B
THEATRE
Longacre Lea presents
the DC premiere of TomStoppard's
ARTIST DESCENDING A STAIRCASE
"carries Stoppard's signature of
breathtaking invention” -TheWash Post
with
THE OOGATZMAN
"a superb play" -DCTheatreScene
$12-$18;Wed. - Sat. at 7:30; Sun. at 2:
through Sept. 13th
Callan Theatre, 3801 Harewood Road NE,CUA Drama
(202) 460-2188,
www.longacrelea.org
MetroStage
MetroStage’s smash hit returns
(THE MUSICAL!)
703-548-9044 I
metrostage.org
Th&Fri 8, Sat 5&8:30, Sun 3&7
thruOct.18
MOONLIGHT
The Studio Theatre
Opening September 9!
MUSICAL OF MUSICALS
SWEENEY TODD
Now Playing!
TobysDinnerTheatre.com
301-596-6161 / 410-730-8311
B CHILDREN'S THEATRE
B
THE PUPPET CO. PLAYHOUSE
Glen Echo Park,MacArthur Blvd. at Goldsboro Rd.
THE DINOSAUR RADIO HOUR
FinalWEEKEND
ShowTimes: Fri@10 am & 11:30 am Sat & Sun@11:30 am & 1 pm
Tickets $10 / Group RateAvailable
RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED
(301) 634-5380 VISA/MC/Amex
2009/2010 Season Open House
Saturday, September 5 11am-4pm
Glen Echo Park,MD
FREE Fall Class Demos, FREE Performances,
FREE Popcorn,& Ice Cream, and much more!
www.adventuretheatre.org
301.634.2270
B
AUDITIONS
DANCECOMPANY
Dance Audition ages 12-18
RENEGADE
TOMORROW! 9/5 10am
DC Dance Collective
4908 WisconsinAve NW,Wash,DC 20016
240. 671. 9047
SF
info:
www.renegadedance.com
Golf community
Buy it. Sell it.
B
B
B
THEATRE
THEATER J
touching and very funny”
- San Francisco Chronicle
ZERO HOUR
Written & performed by Jim Brochu Directed by Piper Laurie
Satat8;Sun at3&7:30
Post-mat discussion with filmmaker Aviva Kempner
B DINNER THEATRE
800-494-TIXS •
www.theaterj.org
B
B
B
“Outrageous, reflective, furious,
B
OPERA
DC’s Only Pocket Opera!
Goes Hollywood
Mozart in Nick Olcott’s hilarious English adaptation: Only 6 shows
The In Series
Cosi fan tutte
Sept 12, 13m, 18, 20, 23, 26
In repertorywith
From U St. to the Cotton Club
Cabaret with amazing voices Celebrating the jazz age!
Sept 17, 19, 20m, 25,26m
Tkts: $38 - $17 Info (202) 204-7763
www.inseries.org
At Source, 1835 14th Street Metro:U Street Cardozo
JAZZ
B
OLNEYTHEATRE CENTER
Jazz at Olney presents
Brazilian songstress
Steve Rudolph Trio
Kenia
&the
in the intimateMulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab
TOMORROWNIGHT ONLY! SAT. SEPT. 5AT 8PM!
Tickets: $26
TKTS/INFO: 301.924.3400
olneytheatre.org
B
FAMILY EVENTS
B
B
B
AUDITIONS
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
St. Mark's Players
Oscar Wilde’s
September 14, 7:30-9:30PM
ComicMonologue Preferred/ Cold Readings from Script
St. Mark’s Players is an all volunteer organization
PotomacTheatre Company
Auditions Meredith Willson’s
IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOKA LOT
LIKE CHRISTMAS
(FORMERLY HERE’S LOVE)
Based onMiracle on 34th Street
Directed by Alex Scopeletis
All roles open!
Mon9/14@7 pm
CallbacksWed 9/16@7pm
Sun 9/13@5pm&
Perf. Dates:Wknds Nov. 20-Dec. 6, 2009
Casting 27 experienced men,women & children. 16 bars, uptempo & ballad (bring sheetmusic) Dress tomove!
Blair Family Center forArts, Bullis School
10601 Falls Rd, Potomac,MD
information: 301 299-8571
www.potomactheatreco.org
Alexandria’s Award-WinningTheatre!
Port City Playhouse
Director Rosemary Hartman and
ProducerAmanda Helms invite you to audition for theAmerican classic:
OURTOWN
by Thornton Wilder
We are seeking a diverse cast of 22-27 men & woman of all ages and experience
Tues&Wed,Sept. 8th&9th at 7 PM
Callbacks Thurs., Sept. 10
Performance dates (subject to change): Fri and Sat at 8 PM10/30 & 10/31, 11/06 & 11/07, 11/13 & 11/14; Tueat8PM11/10; plusSunMatineeat2PM11/15
Lee Center for the Performing Arts
1108 Jefferson St,Alexandria,VA 22314
Formore information, visit:
www.portcityplayhouse.com
Symphony of the Potomac
Joel Lazar, Music Director
Tuesday, Sept. 8 & 15 7:30 - 10:00 p.m.
Contact for audition appointment: 301.299.8233 or
www.symphonypotomac.org
info@symphonypotomac.org
First rehearsal - Thurs., Sept. 17
Home delivery is convenient.
1-800-753-POST
SF
St.Mark’s Church / 301A Street SE
Info:
www.stmarksplayers.org
or
rick.hayes@yahoo.com
Directed by Rick Hayes
September 13, 7-9PM
B
202-334-6200
GHI
washingtonpost.com
CLASSIFIEDS
C304 RE 5x1
The Washington Post Weekend/Friday, September 4, 2009
A477 2x6
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