U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Thomas Fargo said Saturday that he will open a rarely used court of inquiry in connection with the Feb. 9 collision between the submarine USS Greeneville and the Japanese fishing vessel Ehime Maru. The submarine's skipper, Cmdr. Scott Waddle (pictured, left), executive officer Lt. Cmdr. Gerald K. Pfeifer, and officer of the deck, Lt. j.g. Michael J. Coen, have been named parties to the inquiry. A court of inquiry opens up the possibility of criminal prosecutions against the crew of the Greeneville. "I've elected this course of action after reviewing the facts, opinions and recommendations expressed in the preliminary inquiry," Fargo said at a news conference Saturday (click here to read his complete prepared statement). The court of inquiry, which will have full subpoena power, is expected to convene at Pearl Harbor on Thursday, and will be open to the public and the media. It will be led by Vice Adm. John B. Nathman (pictured, right), commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet Naval Air Force. An officer of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force was invited as an advisor. "I lived in Japan for two years when I went to high school," Fargo said. "I've also served there as a naval officer and I have great empathy for the Japanese people and their families. We are going to do everything we can, in our power, to make sure we have a full accounting of this accident." The Greeneville collided with the Ehime Maru on Feb. 9 while executing an emergency surfacing maneuver nine miles off of Diamond Head. Sources told KITV4 News and ABCNEWS that, according to the preliminary report, the submarine would not have performed the maneuver that resulted in the sinking of the Ehime Maru if 16 civilian guests were not on board. The drill was being performed for the benefit of the VIPs aboard the sub, according to sources. Military sources said that the preliminary report on the crash concluded that there were no mechanical problems with the sub and that officers performed several 360-degree searches with the periscope before it surfaced. Investigators found that the visitors did not create any major distractions, according to sources. The Navy Saturday also released the names of the 16 civilian guests.

• Jay Brehmer (Overland Park, Kan.)
• Carol Brehmer (Overland Park, Kan.)
• Jack Clary (Stow, Mass.)
• Pat Clary (Stow, Mass.)
• Helen Cullen (Houston, Texas)
• John M. Hall (Sealy, Texas)
• Leigh Anne Schell Hall (Sealy, Texas)
• Mike Mitchell (Irving, Texas)
• Mickey Nolan (Honolulu)
• Susan Nolan (Honolulu)
• Anthony Schnur (The Woodlands, Texas)
• Susan Schunur (The Woodlands, Texas)
• Tood Thoman (Houston, Texas)
• Deanda Thoman (Houston, Texas)
• Ken Wyatt (Golden, Colorado)
• Catherine Graham Wyatt (Golden, Colorado)

USS GREENEVILLE

Commissioned: Feb. 16, 1996

Los Angeles-class attack nuclear submarine

Homeported in Pearl Harbor in March 1997

Max crew: 130

EHIME MARU

Specs:

499 tons

190.8 feet long

30.5 feet wide

Max crew: 76

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

Video Of The Ehime Maru Wreckage
Adm. Fargo's Prepared Statement

CRASH RESOURCES:

U.S. Navy Statement

WEB LINKS

How A Sub Works
Search Area U.S.S Greeneville
Pacific Cmdr. Submarine Hawaii Navy

Hall pulled the ballast-control levers that started the submarine's ill-fated ascent towards the surface. He currently works for a wholesale energy company called Aquila, which is based in Kansas City, Mo. Jay Brehmer and Anthony Schur, both of whom were travelling with their wives, are also employed by Aquila. Brehmer, additionally, serves the board of directors of Contango Oil and Gas Company in Houston, Texas. Ken Wyatt works for Aquila Energy Capital Corporation. Todd Thoman used to work with Hall as an executive for a Dallas-based oil and gas company, Fossil Bay Resources. Thoman and Hall left the company in January. Jack Clary is a respected sportswriter who has authored dozens of books on sports figures such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. One of his books looked at athletic standouts at the U.S. Naval Academy. Mickey Nolan was the volunteer chairman of the last two USS Missouri golf tournaments. All 16 guests were major contributors to the USS Missouri Restoration Fund, according to KITV4 News reporter Keoki Kerr. Their visit to the Greeneville was arranged by retired U.S. Pacific Forces commander Adm. Richard Macke. Ehime Maru Wreckage Found The U.S. Navy released video Saturday night of the sunken wreckage of the Ehime Maru (click here to watch the video). The families of the nine missing sailors from the vessel watched the video before it was released to the media. The submersible Scorpio II discovered the wreckage of the Japanese fishing vessel late Friday night. It was discovered sitting nearly upright in about 2,000 feet of water, about 1,000 yards from the site where the submarine USS Greeneville struck it Feb. 9, according to Navy officials. The name of the ship can be easily seen in the video shot by the submersible (pictured, right). The Navy found the vessel at 11:29 p.m. using side-scan sonar equipment that was mounted on the Scorpio II. Positive identification was made through the submersible's video cameras. The unmanned submersible is equipped with sonar and two video cameras, and has a limited recovery capability. The Scorpio on Saturday was continuing a scan on the vessel and the area around it, officials said. Another remotely operated submersible with deeper diving capability was to be deployed later in the day. The Scorpio has not detected any bodies in the 500-ton Ehime Maru, according to officials. Still missing are four high school students, two teachers and three crewmen from the commercial fishing training vessel, operated by Uwajima Fisheries High School in southwestern Japan. Twenty-six people were rescued after the Feb. 9 collision. Previous Stories:

• February 16, 2001: Sources: Maneuver Partly Result Of Civilians
• February 15, 2001: Search Continues While NTSB Interviews Sub Crew
• February 14, 2001: Two Island Residents On Greeneville
• February 14, 2001: U.S.-Japan Relations Turning Tense
• February 13, 2001: Sub Captain Could Face Criminal Inquiry
• February 12, 2001: Robot To Search For Sunken Ship
• February 12, 2001: Japanese Minister Meets With U.S. Admiral
• February 11, 2001: Search For Ehime Maru Victims To Continue
• February 11, 2001: Captain Of Ehime Maru Speaks
• February 11, 2001: Government Calls Submarine Collision 'Tragedy'
• February 10, 2001: Sub Commander Reassigned As Search Continues
• February 10, 2001: U.S. Offers Another Apology To Japan
• February 10, 2001: Anxiety Turns To Anger In Japanese Town
• February 10, 2001: Sub Collided During Emergency Maneuver