US embassy cable - 05LAGOS1643

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 001643 
 
SIPDIS 
 
TRANSPORTATION FOR FAA; DAKAR PLEASE PASS TO FAA REP ED 
JONES; ROME PLEASE PASS TO TSA REP JOHN HALINSKI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/22/2006 
TAGS: CASC, EAIR, NI, ASEC, PREL 
SUBJECT: SITREP #1: LAGOS BELLVIEW FLIGHT 3210 CRASH; TIME: 
4:00 AM (LOCAL) 
 
 
Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne per 1.4 d 
 
1. (SBU) U.S. Consulate Lagos officials were informed at 
12:20 that domestic airline Bellview 3210 en route from Lagos 
to Abuja, Nigeria had disappeared from radar contact.  US 
Consulate Lagos convened an Emergency Action Meeting at 1:45 
and simultaneously sent Consulate officers to the Lagos 
(Murtala Muhammed) airport to assess the situation. 
 
2. (SBU) Bellview 3210, a Boeing 737, left Lagos at 
approximately 20:30 (local hours), and was scheduled to 
arrive in Abuja at 21:30.  Federal Airports Authority of 
Nigeria (FAAN) officials reported losing contact with the 
plane soon after departure.  Nigerian authorities have 
informed us that they are receiving an airplane distress 
signal approximately five miles off the Atlantic coast. 
Nigerian authorities and military have launched search and 
rescue/recovery operation, but their efforts are hampered by 
darkness and lack of capacity for a marine operation. 
 
3. (C) There is one known USG employee on board.  We do not 
yet know if any other AMCITS were on board. 
 
4. (C) DOD officials are in contact with the next of kin of 
the known USG (DOD) employee on board.  Privacy waiver is not 
yet available. 
 
5. (SBU) Contacts report 108 passengers on board and six (6) 
crewmembers.  The manifest list is not yet available.  We are 
canvassing other Western missions and Nigerian contacts to 
secure manifest as soon as possible. 
 
6. (U) Nigerian officials have set up a press center at the 
Lagos airport and both the domestic and international wings 
remain open. 
 
7. (U) We are also in contact and exchanging information with 
other Consulates in Lagos. 
 
8.  (U) Our public affairs officer recommends the following 
public guidance:  "At approximately 12:20 am the American 
Consulate was notified that Bellview 3210 which departed 
Lagos at 20:35 had disappeared from radar contact.  At the 
moment we have no further details but we will continue to 
monitor developments closely.  Both the domestic and 
international airports remain open." 
 
BROWNE