Civilians 'distracted' sub crewman

The sunken trawler on its seabed grave

A crew member on the American nuclear submarine which rammed and sank a Japanese trawler has said he was not able to track nearby ships because civilian guests were crowding the control room.

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said that the nuclear-powered submarine had actually detected the Japanese fishing vessel 71 minutes before the collision off the coast of Hawaii.

He told us... he was not able to continue his plotting... because of civilians in the area

John Hammerschmidt, NTSB

But the crew member responsible for plotting the submarine's position in relation to other vessels by sonar signals told the NSTB that he had to stop his work because civilians were in the way.

The disclosure is likely to provoke a strong reaction from Japan, where relatives of the nine people missing, presumed dead, were outraged to hear that civilians were on board and that two were at the controls when disaster struck.

Nine people are missing; 26 were rescued

In Japan, outgoing US Ambassador Thomas Foley personally apologised on Wednesday to the emperor of Japan over the incident.

US Navy officials have maintained that the 16 civilian guests were not a distraction to the crew.

The Navy says it has delayed its own inquiry into the disaster - which will allow a Japanese observer - until next Monday to allow for more preparation.

President Bush has ordered a review of the policy of allowing civilians to be involved in US military exercises.

Periscope sweeps

The NTSB's John Hammerschmidt said data from the Navy would be analysed to confirm that the trawler had indeed been detected, and to determine why the crew believed the area was clear when the nuclear-powered submarine made its fatal ascent drill.

The father of a teenager missing from the tragedy sobs

In the manoeuvre, the USS Greeneville rapidly surfaced, tearing into the hull of the fisheries training vessel, the Ehime Maru, which sank within minutes.

Mr Hammerschmidt said one officer had made several 360-degree periscope sweeps before the drill.

The periscope sweeps were shown to civilians on a video monitor, and one woman thought she saw a vessel, but later said she did not believe that vessel was the same as the doomed trawler.

Mr Hammerschmidt said the submarine's sonar room should have been staffed with two qualified operators and a supervisor, but one of the operators was a trainee.

Commander tight-lipped

Commander Waddle could face a court-martial

The submarine's commander has refused to discuss the accident with the NSTB - on advice from his lawyers - until the Navy finishes its probe.

Although his information could be crucial, Commander Scott Waddle told investigators he would only respond to written questions that related to the rescue efforts.

Japan has continued to press the US to raise the Ehime Maru from its ocean grave 600m (2,000 feet) below the surface.