A sonar supervisor told the Navy's court of inquiry that with a few more minutes to analyze data, crewmen aboard the USS Greeneville would have probably detected a fishing vessel and avoided a deadly collision off Oahu.
Petty Officer 1st Class Edward McGiboney told the panel Friday that a lack of time to perform a proper sonar analysis contributed to the Feb. 9 sinking of the Ehime Maru.
The inquiry has zeroed in on two key factors: whether Greeneville Cmdr. Scott Waddle rushed preparations for surfacing and whether he failed to look long enough or high enough
to detect the Ehime Maru during a periscope search.
McGiboney said that sonar data during a series of high-speed maneuvers before the surfacing accident was unreliable, looking much like spaghetti. He said that more time would have allowed the sonar system to reset itself and obtain good data on surface contacts.
Waddle's attorney on Thursday called allegations that Waddle rushed a civilian tour because he was running 45 minutes late "unfounded speculation."
Meanwhile, the fire-control technician responsible for manually keeping track of the Ehime Maru has been granted testimonial immunity. Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick Seacrest is expected to testify before the inquiry Monday morning.
The Navy's investigation found that Secrest did not follow orders when he neglected to notify
Waddle that the ship was closer to the submarine than originally thought.
He is expected to testify that he was reassured by Waddle's periscope check and that he was somehow affected by the visitors, who were standing between him and Waddle.
By being granted immunity, Seacrest's testimony in the inquiry cannot be used against him during any future proceeding, such as a court-martial.
Click here to watch the latest report on the inquiry by KITV4 News reporter Daryl Huff.
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