While the actually recordings are still under possession of Italian police, parts of the transcript have begun to leak out.
Among some of the alarming details was the Captains direct knowledge of the severity of the situation. Captain Schettino can be heard saying to the Chief Engineer: “So are we really going down?” Shortly thereafter, he informed the passengers that the ship only had a blackout and everything was under control. To make matters worse, he also falsely advised the coastguard on the situation stating: “We’ve had a blackout, we’re just evaluating… at most we’re going to need a tugboat.”
He can also be heard phoning his wife with the following: “We hit a reef, the ship is listing but I performed a great maneuver … everything is under control [but] my career as a captain is over.”