SITREP #6: CRASH OF BELLVIEW FLIGHT B3210; OCTOBER

UNCLAS LAGOS 001656 SIPDIS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - HANDLE ACCORDINGLY TRANSPORTATION FOR FAA DAKAR PLS PASS TO FAA REP ED JONES ROME PLS PASS TO TSA REP JOHN HALINSKI FOR DS/IP/AF E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CASC EAIR NI ASEC PREL SUBJECT: SITREP #6: CRASH OF BELLVIEW FLIGHT B3210; OCTOBER 24, 5:23 PM (LOCAL) REF: LAGOS 1648 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (SBU) The Consular Response Team (CRT) remained present at crash site throughout the morning and most of the afternoon, gathering information necessary to cross-check passenger identities with AMCIT registration records. No/no additional amcits were discovered. The CRT will deploy to the crash site again tomorrow. ¶2. (SBU) Nigeria's Aviation Minister convened a press conference at 1400 (local) today where he noted the GON had formally requested USG assistance. Subsequently, the Aviation Minister stated that he and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority Director General Onyeyiri intended to visit Transportation Secretary Mineta in Washington on October 28. The Aviation SIPDIS Minister plans to forward a more detailed request for assistance in the coming days. ¶3. (SBU) The media reported the following prominent Nigerians were on board: Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustees member and former Chairman of the Nigerian Railways Corporation, Waziri Mohammed; Post-Master General of the Federation, Alhaji Abubakar Argungu; Ascon Oil Limited Managing Director George Enenmoh; former MD Peoples Bank of Nigeria and current Ogun State Employment Coordinator, Maria Sokenu; ACB International Bank CEO John Udeka; and ECOWAS second-in-command General Cheick Diarra (Malian nationality). BROWNE