The National Transportation Safety Board believes El Faro, the cargo ship that went missing during Hurricane Joaquin, has been found in the Atlantic Ocean about 15,000 feet below the surface.
The NTSB said the USNS Apache used sonar equipment, which first detected the vessel Saturday afternoon.
Specialists on the Apache will use a deep ocean remotely operated vehicle to survey and confirm the identity of the wreckage. The survey could start as early as Sunday.
NTSB said the sonar detection is consistent with a 790-foot cargo ship. The vessel appears to be upright and in one piece.
If the vessel is confirmed to be El Faro, the remote will use a video camera to document the vessel and debris field in an attempt to locate and recover the voyage data recorder.
El Faro went missing on Oct. 1 during Hurricane Joaquin. The Coast Guard searched for the boat for days before the NTSB contracted the U.S. Navy to take over the search.
El Faro had 28 crew members from the United States and five from Poland. The ship was heading to Puerto Rico on Sept. 29 from Jacksonville on a regular cargo supply run.
The crew reported that the ship had lost power, had taken on water and was listing 15 degrees but that the situation was "manageable," in their last communication, according to ship owner TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico.
Joaquin was a Category 4 hurricane when El Faro got caught in the story. The ship had 391 shipping containers on board, which would make it top-heavy amid Joaquin's 50-foot waves.