US Navy probes sub collision

The submarine commander's actions are under scrutiny

The US Navy has opened a public inquiry into the fatal collision last month between a US nuclear-powered submarine and a Japanese fishing vessel.

Three US admirals are heading the investigation into the 9 February incident, in which the USS Greeneville surfaced directly below the Japanese Ehime Maru training vessel 14km (nine miles) off the coast of Hawaii.

We cannot believe how it could happen. So the bereaved families and the public are very angry

Japanese Ambassador to US, Shunji Yanai

Relatives of the Japanese victims attended the opening session of the Court of Inquiry at the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii on Monday.

Nine of the 35 people who were aboard the Ehime Maru died in the collision, which caused widespread anger in Japan.

The Court of Inquiry is the US Navy's highest administrative procedure.

Discipline

The hearing is expected to last three weeks. It could end in a recommendation to discipline three of the Greeneville's senior officers, named as subjects of the inquiry.

The Japanese relatives want some explanations

The recommendation - ranging from a letter of reprimand to a court martial - will then be considered by the US Pacific Fleet commander, Admiral Thomas Fargo.

The inquiry, called by Admiral Fargo, will be joined by a Japanese Admiral, Isamu Ozawa. He will not be permitted to vote on any recommendations.

The panel will focus on the actions of the Greeneville's commander, Scott Waddle, and two other senior officers - Lieutenant-Commander Gerald Pfeifer and Lieutenant Michael Coen.

Civilians

The panel will examine how the Greeneville failed to know the Ehime Maru was so dangerously close. It will also look at whether the crew of the Greeneville were distracted by 16 civilian guests aboard the submarine at the time.

Three civilian guests were actually at the controls as the submarine carried out an emergency surfacing manoeuvre. The Navy says they were closely supervised and did not contribute to the accident.

Japan's Ambassador to the US, Shunji Yanai, described the sinking of the Ehime Maru as a "man-made disaster".

"We cannot believe how it could happen. So the bereaved families and the public are very angry at it," he said.

On Friday the US Coast Guard officially ended its search for the nine missing.

Immunity

Lawyers for Commander Waddle and the other two senior officers have requested that their clients be granted immunity for the testimony. That means they could not be charged for anything they said before the inquiry.

Some possessions were recovered

However, they could still face prosecution based on the testimony of others.

The Japanese ship was on an expedition to teach teenagers how to be commercial fishermen. Four students, two teachers and three crewmen were never found after the collision.

The US Navy is now considering whether to salvage the vessel.

The Navy completed an underwater survey last week of the area surrounding the wreck, which lies at 2,000 feet (600m).