Navy To Launch Court of Inquiry

Feb. 19 -- The U.S. Navy plans to launch an in-depth investigation into the fatal crash of the U.S. Navy submarine and a Japanese fishing boat near Hawaii, and Japanese government officials say they want the fishing boat's captain to be present at the inquiry.

The Navy will establish a court of inquiry, made up of three admirals, that will have the power to subpoena naval personnel and the civilians who were aboard the USS Greeneville Feb. 9, when it hit and sank the Japanese fishing boat Ehime Maru, leaving nine Japanese missing and presumed dead.

The seldom-used type of panel is responsible for gathering facts, rather than assigning blame. However, the results of the hearings could result in a series of recommendations for court-martials of the USS Greeneville's officers.

The court of inquiry will be composed of three Navy flag officers. In addition, a flag officer of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force will also be asked to serve as an adviser.

Japanese officials said today they will talk to the United States aboutsending Hisao Onishi, the captain of the Ehime Maru, to take part in the court of inquiry, as well. Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori told Senior Vice Foreign Minister Seishiro Eto to negotiate with Washington so that Onishi would be allowed to attend the Navy's highestform of administrative investigation.

The three subjects of the inquiry will be the submarine's commander, Cmdr. Scott Waddle, its executive officer, Lt. Cmdr. Gerald K. Pfeifer, and its officer of the deck, Lt. J.G. Michael J. Coen, said Adm. Thomas Fargo at a news conference. The court of inquiry is expected to be convened this Thursday at Pearl Harbor, and the sessions will be open to the public.

Waddle was relieved of duty following the accident.

"The court of inquiry will provide a full and open accounting for the American and Japanese people," Fargo said.

Investigators are trying to figure out why the submarine did not see the fishing boat as it surfaced in a military exercise on Feb. 9, and speculate that the Ehime Maru may have been traveling directly toward the Greeneville, thus making it more difficult to see through the periscope. However, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board say the Greeneville was aware of sea traffic in the area, and was tracking several ships just before the accident.