US embassy cable - 05ABUJA2072

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002072 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DOT PLEASE PASS TO FAA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2015 
TAGS: EAIR, CASC, ASEC, AMGT, NI, BELLVIEW 
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH BELLVIEW AIRLINES RE CRASH 
 
 
Classified By: DCM Tom Furey for Reason 1.4 d 
 
1. (C) Summary: On October 25, Bellview Airlines CEO, Kayode 
Odukoya, Exexcutive Director Gbenga Olowo and Abuja Airport 
Station manager Owo M called on the Ambassador to offer 
condolences on the death of Embassy staffer Major Joseph 
Haydon, to offer assistance to family members, and to provide 
what information they had at this point. The flight recorder 
(black box) has not been recovered.  They suspect it is in 
the crash crater. There is still no information about the 
probable cause of the crash. The pilot confirmed his takeoff, 
and when he reached 13,000, but did not make contact at 
reaching 19,000, which should have occurred approximately 3 
minutes later.  Bellview has full international insurance 
coverage through Lloyds of London, and will assist families 
filing claims. They will also assist families wishing to 
visit the crash site, including with transportation and hotel 
costs. The Bellview officials said poor federal 
infrastructure, procedures and coordination were all key 
factors in the confusion surrounding the crash and search and 
rescue efforts. They welcomed U.S. investigative assistance 
and promised full cooperation. End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) On October 25, Bellview Airlines CEO, Kayode 
Odukoya, Executive Director Gbenga Olowo and Abuja Airport 
Station manager Owo M called on the Ambassador to offer 
condolences on the death of Office of Defense Cooperation 
(ODC) Chief Embassy staffer Major Joseph Haydon, to offer 
assistance to family members, and to provide what information 
they had at this point. Also at the Meeting were the DCM, The 
defense attache, the Management and Economic Counselors, the 
Acting ODC Chief, RSO and European Command Liaison to ECOWAS. 
The Bellview team was open and forthcoming. All day they had 
been making the rounds to affected families and 
organizations, intending to contact each family personally. 
 
Crash Cause Still Unknown 
------------------------- 
 
3. (SBU)  The flight recorder (black box) has not been 
recovered.  They suspect it is in the crash crater. So far no 
personnel have been down into the crater, which was still 
smoking. There was still no information about the probable 
cause of the crash. There were thunderstorms in the area but 
nothing unusual or severe.  The pilot confirmed his takeoff, 
and confirmed again when he reached 13,000, but he did not 
make contact at reaching 19,000, which should have occurred 
approximately 3 minutes later.  Bellview's own tracking noted 
the loss of contact and called the air traffic control tower. 
 To date they were unsure if the tower was even tracking the 
flight. The plane did not issue any distress signal. Radar 
coverage at Lagos airport was very limited. The crash site is 
on the flight path. The plane had just returned from a flight 
to Dakar. It continued on with the same pilot, who had been 
on duty less than three hours, and with a different crew, 
which had just arrived on an incoming flight from Abuja. 
 
Site Security 
------------- 
 
4. (SBU) There was now security at the site, but the site has 
been contaminated and looted.  Police have recovered some 
looted material, and will work to recover more.  Bodies may 
be recovered from the crater but it is unlikely given the 
level of disintegration at the site. There was no visible 
tailpiece.  The largest visible piece had the registration 
number, and is perhaps 10-20 yards from the crater. Embassy 
conversations with GON officials on site security are 
reported septel. 
 
Family Assistance 
----------------- 
 
5. (SBU) Bellview has full international insurance coverage 
through Lloyds of London, and would assist families filing 
claims. The ECOWAS Liaison, who is acting as the family 
assistance officer, offered to be the contact for this 
matter. They would also assist families wishing to visit the 
crash site, including with transportation and hotel costs. 
The DCM raised the issue of getting death certificates issued 
in order for the families to proceed with legal and financial 
claims.  Bellview officials said that local Government 
authorities would be responsible for issuing death 
certificates.  Bellview would work with families to assist. 
If there were problems then the matter could be escalated to 
the state level. Embassy confirmed that as of now, no other 
AmCits had been confirmed as being on the flight. 
6. (C)  When the Ambassador asked about the lengthy delays in 
identifying the crash site, with several false 
identifications occurring and the false reports of survivors, 
Bellview officials pointed to the lack of infrastructure, 
lack of coordination, and too many entities involved in 
investigation. Government helicopters went out early and 
there were tentative identifications near Kisi in Kwara 
state. When a convoy of ambulances and military vehicles 
headed out, that caused circular confirmation of the site. 
Bellview chartered helicopters to search and found nothing at 
that location.  The actual site was located when their 
chartered helicopters spotted the smoking crater on their 
return to Lagos. 
 
7. (C) The RSO asked about inconsistent baggage security 
procedures where bags were matched with passengers in Abuja 
but not in Lagos. Bellview said the policy was to match at 
all sites and if we had information that this did happen to 
let them know.  Various staff reported that if it were 
raining, or dark the check often did not occur, and then when 
it did it was often not complete.  On the flight that 
crashed, there was cargo and it was manifested.  The delay in 
releasing the passenger manifest was to allow a check against 
boarding tickets collected. Bellview said passengers often 
flew with other peoples' tickets, and without a federal 
regulation ID checks there was no way to ensure that 
passengers manifest were absolutely accurate. 
 
8. (SBU) Bellview welcomed all assistance and offered 
complete cooperation with NSTB, Boeing, and FBI 
investigators. They were very open in answering all 
questions. The airline said it had also sought to maintain 
high standards of maintenance, safety and security, and hoped 
to maintain and improve the standards in the future. They 
welcomed suggestions for improvement.  The ECOWAS liaison 
said he had known the pilot of the crashed plane  and 
Bellview crews and had always observed them to be meticulous 
professionals in their procedures. The Ambassador thanked the 
Bellview team for their visit and for their candor. 
CAMPBELL 
 
 
CAMPBELL