Captain, sole defendant in Italian shipwreck trial, seeks Concordia inspection

The Costa Concordia ship lies on its side on the Tuscan Island of Giglio, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013. (AP / Andrew Medichini)

GROSSETO, Italy - The captain of the shipwrecked Costa Concordia is hoping an Italian judge will grant his request for an inspection of the crippled cruise liner.

The trial of Francesco Schettino resumes Monday after a two-month summer recess, during which a salvage operation made more of the wreck accessible.

The Concordia crashed into a reef, took on water and capsized when Schettino steered it close to the island of Giglio, off the Tuscan coast, in January 2012.

Schettino is charged with manslaughter, causing the shipwreck and abandoning the Concordia before all aboard were evacuated. Thirty-two people perished.

Schettino says the reef wasn't on his charts, and that the company should shoulder some blame. If convicted, he risks 20 years in prison.