Pacific Fleet commander to be briefed on submarine accident

USS Greeneville heads out to sea Wednesday for the first time since repairs were completed

From Martin Savidge
CNN National Correspondent

HONOLULU, Hawaii (CNN) -- The three admirals who sat on the court of inquiry investigating the collision of a U.S. submarine with a Japanese training vessel will brief the head of the Pacific Fleet Friday, Navy sources said.

The three admirals will report their findings and recommendations to Adm. Thomas B. Fargo, the commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet at the fleet's headquarters on the Pearl Harbor Naval Base. The Japanese admiral who sat on the court of inquiry -- but did not vote -- will attend the meeting as well.

Fargo has 30 days to make a decision on what action to take. One Navy source said Fargo is not expected to take long.

The February 9 accident between the USS Greeneville and the Ehime Maru, the Japanese vessel, killed nine people, including four high school students.

USS Greeneville Cmdr. Scott Waddle, 41, Lt. j.g. Michael Coen, 26, and Lt. Cmdr. Gerald Pfeifer, 38, could face courts martial.

The meeting was originally scheduled to take place Saturday in San Diego, but was rescheduled and relocated to Hawaii because Fargo is here welcoming home the crew of the U.S. Navy spy plane that had been detained in China.

Waddle urged civilians to tell the truth
March 21, 2001
Sub inquiry ends after skipper testifies
March 20, 2001
Commander denied immunity in sub inquiry
March 19, 2001
Families of missing ask sub skipper to not seek immunity
March 17, 2001
Greeneville skipper apologizes to Ehime Maru captain
March 14, 2001
Navy sub collision inquiry gets first eyewitness testimony
March 13, 2001
U.S. Navy may OK attempt to raise Japanese ship
March 12, 2001
Sub skipper's family speaks out about collision
March 11, 2001

NTSB transcripts: Greeneville/Ehime Maru 031201
U.S. Coast Guard
CINCPACFLT :: USS Greeneville (SSN 772) incident
City of Uwajima's memorial site
U.S. Navy
 • CINCPACFLT statement on the USS Greeneville incident
 • Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet
 • USS Greeneville

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