Having the same problem:

dmesg output:

[   69.464000] EXT3 FS on sdc5, internal journal
[   69.468000] EXT3-fs: mounted filesystem with ordered data mode.
[  172.012000] sdc: Current: sense key: No Sense
[  172.012000]     Additional sense: No additional sense information
[  202.124000] usb 4-1: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 2
[  232.396000] usb 4-1: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 2
[  262.668000] usb 4-1: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 2
[  283.244000] usb 4-1: USB disconnect, address 2
[  283.244000] sd 2:0:0:0: SCSI error: return code = 0x00010000
[  283.244000] end_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 315884110
[  283.244000] Buffer I/O error on device sdc5, logical block 38207590
[  283.244000] lost page write due to I/O error on sdc5
[  283.244000] sd 2:0:0:0: SCSI error: return code = 0x00010000
[  283.244000] end_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 12662
[  283.244000] journal_bmap: journal block not found at offset 12 on sdc5
[  283.244000] Aborting journal on device sdc5.
[  283.244000] Buffer I/O error on device sdc5, logical block 1555
[  283.244000] lost page write due to I/O error on sdc5
[  283.252000] Buffer I/O error on device sdc5, logical block 37847042
[  283.252000] lost page write due to I/O error on sdc5
[  283.252000] Buffer I/O error on device sdc5, logical block 38207563
[  283.252000] lost page write due to I/O error on sdc5
[  283.252000] Buffer I/O error on device sdc5, logical block 38862888
[  283.252000] lost page write due to I/O error on sdc5
[  283.252000] Buffer I/O error on device sdc5, logical block 1037
[  283.252000] lost page write due to I/O error on sdc5
[  283.264000] EXT3-fs error (device sdc5): ext3_get_inode_loc: unable to read inode block - inode=19744535, block=39485498
[  283.264000] scsi 2:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
[  283.264000] scsi 2:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
[  283.264000] ext3_abort called.
[  283.264000] EXT3-fs error (device sdc5): ext3_journal_start_sb: Detected aborted journal
[  283.264000] Remounting filesystem read-only
[  283.540000] scsi 2:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
[  589.332000] usb 4-1: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 8
[  589.672000] usb 4-1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
[  589.672000] scsi4 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
[  589.672000] usb-storage: device found at 8
[  589.672000] usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
[  594.672000] usb-storage: device scan complete
[  594.672000] scsi 4:0:0:0: Direct-Access     Maxtor 6 Y200P0           YAR4 PQ: 0 ANSI: 0
[  594.672000] SCSI device sdc: 390721969 512-byte hdwr sectors (200050 MB)
[  594.676000] sdc: Write Protect is off
[  594.676000] sdc: Mode Sense: 03 00 00 00
[  594.676000] sdc: assuming drive cache: write through
[  594.676000] SCSI device sdc: 390721969 512-byte hdwr sectors (200050 MB)
[  594.676000] sdc: Write Protect is off
[  594.676000] sdc: Mode Sense: 03 00 00 00
[  594.676000] sdc: assuming drive cache: write through
[  594.676000]  sdc:<6>usb 4-1: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 8
[  655.060000] usb 4-1: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 8


Kernel: 2.6.20-15-generic #2 SMP Sun Apr 15 07:36:31 UTC 2007 i686 GNU/Linux

Notebook Sony TR-1MP Centrino (Intel(R) Pentium(R) M processor  900MHz)