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The captain and crewmen of a Chinese ship responsible for an oil spill after hitting the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge have refused to speak to federal investigators, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday. But the local pilot who was guiding the ship told investigators that its radar had malfunctioned shortly before the accident.

The spokesman, Peter Knudson, said crewmen aboard the Cosco Busan, the 900-foot vessel that spilled 58,000 gallons of fuel into the bay on Nov. 7, have hired lawyers in the face of possible lawsuits and charges.

The pilot, John Cota, told investigators Monday that the navigation equipment, including the radar and electronic charting devices, had malfunctioned.

“He reported that just a few moments before the incident, his radar scopes became distorted,” Mr. Knudson said. “There also was some discussion between the pilot and the captain over differences in the paper versus the electronic mapping symbols.”

The transportation board said it had examined the radar and electronic devices, and “the reports indicted the equipment was functioning normally and as expected,” Mr. Knudson said.

The Coast Guard said Wednesday that the captain and crewmen were not tested for drugs within the required 32 hours after the accident. The pilot was tested for drugs and alcohol in a timely fashion. His results were negative, the Coast Guard said. It also said it had replaced Capt. William Uberti, who has been in charge of the Coast Guard’s investigation.

The remaining 40,000 gallons of oil have continued to spread throughout the area. The incident has closed 30 beaches and killed 600 birds.