Lengthy lunch delayed sub maneuver

Rear Adm. Charles Griffiths, who led the Navy’s investigation into the accident, was the first to testify at a court of inquiry into the collision that left nine Japanese boys and men missing.

The USS Greeneville, a nuclear attack submarine, was demonstrating an emergency surfacing drill for 16 civilians when it knifed through the hull of the Ehime Maru Feb. 9. The boat, carrying 35 people, was on an expedition to teach high school students from Uwajima, Japan, how to fish. Four teens, two teachers and three crewmen never were found.

Griffiths described a series of events and problems on the day of the accident, including broken equipment, inadequate supervision for a sonar trainee and delays that may have encouraged a rush to get back on schedule.
The surfacing drill had been planned for 1 p.m., but it was pushed back until 1:43 p.m. because lunch dragged on, he said. The crew had to feed guests in two shifts because the mess hall was so small.

Griffiths was asked if anyone expressed concern about the delay.

“I don’t know if I would say concerned,” he said. “A professional reminder was provided by the navigator to the executive officer to the commanding officer that the ship was behind schedule.”

Griffiths said that Cmdr. Scott Waddle responded to the notice by saying: “I have it under control.”

Griffiths said Waddle emphasized spending quality time chatting with his guests during the lunch break.

“He took his time ... so that ran over,” he said.

Later, with the submarine falling behind schedule, Waddle ordered his crew to go to periscope depth in five minutes, despite procedures that required at least 10 minutes to check for surface vessels, Griffiths said.

“He wanted to get to periscope depth in a hurry,” Griffiths said. “I can surmise it was because they were late from their previous schedule.”

Griffiths also said that a sonar officer who was supposed to be monitoring a trainee in the sonar room spent much of his time dealing with guests instead.

That meant that in the sonar room, there was one qualified sonar officer, one supervisor and the trainee. The sonar room monitors surface vessels.
Griffiths said under Navy requirements, a second qualified sonar officer should have been with the trainee at all times.

“His assigned duties officially were to be a tour guide for the guests,” Griffiths said. “Somebody qualified should have consistently been overseeing that operator.”

Griffiths testified that on the day of the accident, a sonar display that allows the commander and the officer of the deck to monitor surface vessels was inoperable. Officers decided to defer repairs until the submarine returned to port because it was “too disruptive” to fix the equipment at sea.

Griffiths, a former submarine commander, called it a “vital piece of gear.” He recalled that it failed once on his submarine.

“I felt somewhat naked,” he said. “It was a big deal.”

Vice Adm. John Nathman and two other admirals will recommend whether any disciplinary action is warranted against the Greeneville’s top officers, Waddle, Lt. Cmdr. Gerald Pfeifer, the executive officer, and Lt. j.g. Michael Coen, the officer of the deck.

Waddle, Pfeifer and Coen could face anything from a reprimand to court-martial. Adm. Thomas Fargo, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, will review the court’s recommendations and take final action. The court also could suggest changes to Navy policies on civilian participation in military operations.

“The tragic consequences of the collision have impacted the lives of both Japanese and American families,” Nathman said in opening remarks. “While this inquiry cannot change what has happened, a more thorough understanding of what occurred can serve to prevent a reoccurrence.”

Families of some of the victims sat in the front row.

“I’d like to know everything, especially what was going on inside the submarine, in chronological order,” said Ryosuke Terata, the father of a missing 17-year-old boy. “I hope the proceedings will go into details very soon.”

Waddle, walking hand-in-hand with his wife, declined to comment when he arrived for the hearing. In a brief e-mail exchange with USA Today, Waddle asked people to “please pray for those lost at sea.” He added, “Pray for me.”

“My career is terminated — an accident of this sort, whether or not I am exonerated, will end my career,” Waddle wrote for the March 12 issue of Time magazine.

The main issues before the court are whether the crew, primarily a fire control technician charged with tracking and plotting the position of surface vessels, provided the officers with enough information to allow them to detect the Ehime Maru, whether the civilians inhibited the crew from doing its job and why Waddle and Coen did not see the fishing vessel when they looked through the periscope prior to surfacing.

One member of the court expressed support for the Navy’s civilian visitors’ program.

“I’m a strong believer in the (program), whether it’s family cruises ... whether it’s special distinguished visitor embarks, such as in this case,” said Rear Adm. David Stone. “I think it’s part of who we are as a Navy. It’s America’s Navy. We need to continue that program, and make sure we do it safely.”

All 16 civilians and an estimated 16 Navy personnel were crammed into the Greeneville’s tiny control room as the crew prepared to surface the submarine. The fire control technician told federal investigators that he stopped manually plotting the position of the Ehime Maru less than an hour before the collision because the control room was too crowded.

Three civilians were at various controls during the maneuver itself, although the Navy maintains they were closely monitored and that their actions did not contribute to the accident.
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On the Net:
Pacific Fleet/Greenville: www.cpf.navy.mil/greeneville.html