US embassy cable - 05LAGOS1648

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 001648 
 
SIPDIS 
 
TRANSPORTATION FOR FAA 
DAKAR PLS PASS TO FAA REP ED JONES 
ROME PLS PASS TO TSA REP JOHN HALINSKI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2006 
TAGS: CASC, EAIR, NI, ASEC, PREL 
SUBJECT: SITREP #5: CRASH OF BELLVIEW FLIGHT B3210; OCTOBER 
24, 10:30 AM (LOCAL) 
 
REF: LAGOS 1646 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne per 1.4 b 
 
1. (SBU/NF) Mission's consular response team (CRT) returned 
to Lagos at approximately 19:30 yesterday, October 23.  Per 
reftel, they reported no likely survivors and an unstable 
security environment around the crash scene.  The crash site 
is not a very large area.  The CRT did not see large sections 
of the aircraft still intact and reported the air was full 
with the smell of fuel.  A CRT has been deployed to the crash 
site again today. 
 
2. (C) Post continues to try to ascertain whether there were 
AMCITs on board in addition to the one known AMCIT passenger. 
 The CRT has ruled out several individuals by cross-checking 
AMCIT registration records against identifying information 
(full first and last names) found at the crash site.  The 
consular section will call the few other individuals 
registered on our local database whose names are similar to 
those on the imprecise manifest list for flight B2310. 
 
3. (SBU)  Our Public Affairs Section continues to monitor the 
Nigerian media concerning this event. 
 
4. (SBU/NF) The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has 
forwarded a general request for USG forensic, investigative, 
and other technical assistance today (faxed to opcenter). 
There are conflicting reports as to whether the flight data 
recorders have been recovered.  Below is the text of the 
letter: 
 
The Ambassador 
Embassy of the United States of America 
Aso Drive 
Abuja 
 
24th October, 2005 
 
Your Excellency, Sir 
 
We wish to refer to the telephone conversation between the 
Honorable Minister of Aviation and the Consul General of the 
Embassy of the United States of America in Lagos. 
 
Following this discussion, we wish to formally request for 
technical assistance in our determined effort to move the 
aviation industry forward especially in the light of the 
recent accident involving a Boeing 737 aircraft in our 
country. 
 
Please accept Sir, the assurance of our highest regards. 
 
 
Signed Engineer F.C. Onyeyiri 
Director - General 
 
End Text 
 
5. (U) This cable has been cleared by Embassy Abuja. 
 
BROWNE