Robert O. Cupit and Donna Blair Cupit v. McClanahan Contractors, Inc., Formerly, Awi, Inc., Awi Drilling and Workover, Inc.

EDITH H. JONES, Circuit Judge:

McClanahan Contractors, Inc. appeals a district court decision denying limitation of liability. The district court based its decision on its findings that Doyle Samples, the tool-pusher in charge of the rig, was a managing agent of the vessel and that, therefore, his knowledge was imputable to the corporation. We reverse.

I

Robert Cupit was a derrickman aboard McClanahan (then AWI, Inc.) Rig No. 8, a movable drilling rig. On August 4, 1990, the drilling crew was conducting a “fishing expedition” to retrieve a pump-out disk from the hole. Cupit was assigned to bleed…