US embassy cable - 05LAGOS1726

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 001726 
 
SIPDIS 
 
TRANSPORTATION FOR FAA 
DAKAR PLS PASS TO FAA REP ED JONES 
ROME PLS PASS TO TSA REP JOHN HALINSKI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2015 
TAGS: CASC, EAIR, NI, ASEC, PREL 
SUBJECT: BELLVIEW CRASH: WHERE ARE THE NIGERIANS! 
 
REF: LAGOS 1708 AND PREVIOUS 
 
1. (C) Summary.  The USG forensic team arrived at crash site 
on November 3 at 1000 (local time).  Recovery and 
investigation efforts continue to be hampered by heavy rain 
on November 1 and November 3, impeding excavation efforts as 
muddy roads prevented access to the crash site.  The crater 
has filled 12 feet deep with water.  On-site coordination 
remains poor, and the USG forensic team had minimal police 
support.  Requests for hand tools, a security fence, 
increased forensics support and police involvement have not 
been met.  Meanwhile, the National Transportation and Safety 
Board (NTSB) team continued to interview Bellview 
representatives, transport aircraft parts to the aircraft 
hanger, and review Bellview flight crew records.  The flight 
data and cockpit voice recorders have yet to be found.  End 
Summary. 
 
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Rain Hampers Site Access, Collection; 
Crash Crater Filled With Water 
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2. (C) Bad weather conditions are hindering excavation 
efforts.  The USG forensic team could not gain access to the 
crash site on November 1-2 due to poor road conditions. 
Their requests for manual hand tools such as shovels, sifting 
screens, trowls, and sheaves have not been met by the GON. 
Director of Accidents Investigation and Prevention Bureau 
(AIPB) Angus Ozoka said AIPB would provide hand tools, and a 
large water pump and power generator on November 4 to remove 
water from the crater.  Ozoka discounted suggestions for a 
tarp to cover the crater.  He said the water pump and power 
generator should be sufficient to drain the water.  Heavy 
rain and excavation on October 31 have caused the crater to 
expand to 80 feet north to south and 60 feet east to west, 
making collection more difficult. 
 
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Nigerian Support For USG Team Uncoordinated, Spotty 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
3. (C) The forensic team found no security fence on November 
3 and complained that local police were not providing 
requested assistance.  The team spent significant time 
persuading local police to participate in forensic 
collection.  No Nigerian official is coordinating collection 
efforts on site.  The Navy, local police, the Red Cross, a 
Bellview representative, one Ogun State secret serviceman, 
and the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) were at 
the scene, but are not acting in a coordinated manner.  AIPB 
Director Ozoka said they did not provide requested equipment 
and human resources on November 3 because he believed bad 
weather and muddy road conditions would prevent the USG team 
from accessing the site. 
 
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Refrigerated Trucks Fail To Appear 
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4. (C) The Omega Funeral Home company, which was contracted 
by the GON to send a daily refrigerated truck to the site to 
store and transport body part remains, failed to arrive on 
November 3.  The forensic team collected 15 bags of body 
parts but was forced to store these outdoors.  AIPB Director 
Ozoka said the funeral home company would be present on site 
November 4 and that more police trained in forensics, as well 
as the Ogun State Police Commissioner, would arrive to assist 
the USG team.  Site integrity continues to be compromised by 
visits from relatives, villagers, and religious figures. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
NTSB Focuses on Interviews and Bellview Records 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
5. (C) NTSB Representative Dennis Jones interviewed the 
Bellview Director of Flight Operations for over three hours 
on November 2 and spoke on November 4 with Bellview's 
Director of Human Resources to obtain flight crew employment 
and background history.  The NTSB team continued to interview 
authorities, transport aircraft parts to the aircraft hangar, 
and review Bellview records.  They were increasingly 
pessimistic that the flight data and cockpit voice recorders 
would be found.  The NTSB team stayed at the Federal Aviation 
Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) headquarters on November 1-4 to 
review documents, interview Bellview representatives, and 
transport aircraft parts to the aircraft hangar. 
 
6. (C) Comment.  The USG assistance team is resisting 
Nigerian efforts to transform the recovery and investigation 
into a USG-led effort.  Local villagers appeared ready to 
cover the crater, build a memorial, and forget completely 
about the crash.  Bad weather conditions, the GON's slow 
response in providing equipment and resources, and bad roads 
have hindered excavation efforts.  These conditions have set 
the USG forensic team back several days.  Staff in Lagos and 
Abuja have made necessary contacts, and senior GON officials 
have agreed to the necessary steps, but these steps clearly 
have not been implemented.  The GON must deploy more 
consistent support for the recovery and investigation if this 
effort is to be successful.  End Comment. 
HOWE