In the first full television interview he has given since the ship capsized on January 13, Francesco Schettino admitted that he had been distracted before the incident.

However, Schettino - who faces multiple manslaughter charges - also blamed other members of the crew, saying that he had not been on duty when the ship hit a reef off the island of Giglio. Speaking after the conditions of his house arrest were lifted by a judge last week, he also appeared to blame the ship's instruments.

"This was a banal accident in which destiny played a role in the interaction between human beings," he said, adding: "It was as though there was a blackout in everyone's heads and in the instruments."

Naples-born Schettino admitted that he had not acted decisively enough and said he had been distracted by a phone call to a retired sea captain on the island.

'I didn't have command'

However, as the ship ran aground, Schettino said, he had not himself been at the helm. "I didn't have command, that's to say being in charge of sailing the ship, that was the officer," he said.

Costa Crociere, the cruise company, claims that Schettino steered the vessel too close to shore, while Schettino has insisted that the reef was not shown on navigational charts.

Prosecutors suspect Schettino maneuvered the 290-meter vessel perilously close too close to the island as part of a publicity stunt.

He is also accused of losing control of the operation to evacuate all 4,200 of the ships passengers and crew.

A pre-trial hearing was held in March and cases are also being conducted against other officers and company officials.

rc/av (Reuters, AP)