The captain of the sunken fishing vessel Ehime Maru arrived in Honolulu Sunday morning to testify at the Court of Inquiry into the sinking of the Japanese ship.

Navy officials asked that Hisao Onishi to return to Honolulu to give his version of what happened the day that the U.S.S. Greenville collided with the fishing boat.

One day after the collision between the Greeneville and the fishing vessel Onishi described feeling a sudden impact, and said that within minutes he told everyone to board the liferafts. Some did, others jumped into the water.

Onishi said that he felt that everyone aboard was accounted for but that he did not have time to count.

Nine people remain unaccounted for.

Onishi had earlier been critical of the Greeneville's crew. He said that they did nothing to help the survivors following the collision.

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board said that Onishi later recanted. He said that he now understands that the waves were too big to open the sub's hatches, and prevented a rescue effort.

Shortly after Onishi's arrival Sunday two relatives of the missing crew members left Honolulu. Miyako Sakashima, mother of Toshiya Sakashima, 17, and Kazuteru Segawa, the son of a crew member returned to Japan.

The 174-foot Ehime Maru sits on the ocean floor in 2,000 feet of water.

U.S. officials said that they want to salvage the ship.

The Japan Times reported that the U.S. Navy is considering using steel plates to wrap around the sunken vessel. Compressed air would be sprayed into the ocean bed to blow away sand that is stuck between the ocean floor and the keel of the Ehime Maru.

The Times reported that four or five steel plates would then be inserted between the seabed and the ship. Each of the plates is long enough to wrap around the entire body of the ship. Cables would then be attached to the steel plates and the ship would be raised by pulling up the cables. The Navy said that it will decide soon if this is the method it will employ.

Previous Stories:

• March 10, 2001: Attorney Challenges Expert Witness
• March 9, 2001: Waddle Apologizes To Families
• March 8, 2001: Waddle's Attorney Begins Cross-Examination
• March 7, 2001: Attorney: Waddle Will Not Testify
• March 6, 2001: Cheap Tickets Hits 10 Million Online Subscribers
• March 6, 2001: Court Of Inquiry Looks For Answers
• March 3, 2001: Sub Skipper Wants Immunity
• March 2, 2001: Ehime Maru School Students Graduate
• March 1, 2001: Waddle: 'Part Of Me Died' In Collision
• March 1, 2001: Carlisle, Donohue Among Sub Guests
• February 27, 2001: Japan: Bush Considering Salvage Of Sunken Ship
• February 26, 2001: Waddle Has 'Sincere Regret' About Collision
• February 25, 2001: Sub Investigation Could Widen
• February 22, 2001: Navy Court Of Inquiry Could Be Delayed
• February 20, 2001: Navy Likely To Raise Ehime Maru
• February 20, 2001: Sub Mishap Survivors Still Haunted
• February 19, 2001: Sucess Of Raising Ehime Maru 'Questionable'
• February 19, 2001: Robot Sub Hauled Out For Repairs
• February 19, 2001: Tennessee Town Supports Sub Crew
• February 16, 2001: Search Continues While NTSB Interviews Sub Crew
• February 15, 2001: Police Warn Of Sub Victim Fund Scam
• February 15, 2001: Japanese Outraged Over Sub Revelation
• February 15, 2001: Two Island Residents On Greeneville
• February 15, 2001: Help Identify The Civilians On The Sub
• February 14, 2001: Sub Captain Could Face Criminal Inquiry
• February 13, 2001: Ehime Maru Crew Describes Disaster
• February 12, 2001: Bush Offers Prayer For Sub Victims
• February 12, 2001: NTSB Begins Sub Collision Probe
• February 11, 2001: Ehime Maru Captain Speaks
• February 11, 2001: Sub Commander Reassigned As Search Continues
• February 11, 2001: Sub Collided During Emergency Maneuver