Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05LAGOS1734
2005-11-07 15:34:00
SECRET
Consulate Lagos
Cable title:  

BELLVIEW CRASH: POTENTIALLY WORRISOME EVIDENCE

Tags:  CASC EAIR NI ASEC PTER PREL 
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S E C R E T LAGOS 001734 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2015
TAGS: CASC EAIR NI ASEC PTER PREL
SUBJECT: BELLVIEW CRASH: POTENTIALLY WORRISOME EVIDENCE

REF: REF: LAGOS 1726 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: CONSUL GENERAL B. L. BROWNE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)

S E C R E T LAGOS 001734

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2015
TAGS: CASC EAIR NI ASEC PTER PREL
SUBJECT: BELLVIEW CRASH: POTENTIALLY WORRISOME EVIDENCE

REF: REF: LAGOS 1726 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: CONSUL GENERAL B. L. BROWNE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (U) This is an action request. See paragraph 8.


2. (S) On November 5, Charge Tom Furey, the Lagos Consul
General and other Consulate staff accompanied NTSB's Dennis
Jones to the Lagos airport hangar where Jones and his team
had begun to piece together parts of the shattered Bellview
aircraft.


3. (S) At the hangar, Jones showed the group a piece of the
plane's wreckage that caused him serious concern. This
wreckage came from the rear half of the airplane, close to
the cargo hold. Jones stated the piece was troublesome for
several reasons. First, the damage to the shape and
integrity of the fragment was inconsistent with damage that
would be caused by impact. Second, the fragment showed signs
of fire much more intense than any other fragment found thus
far. Third, the contour of the damaged fragment suggests a
push of tremendous force from inside the plane had taken
place against this piece. Fourth, although eye witness
accounts conflicted, some witnesses claimed seeing fire
emanating from the plane's tail area prior to impact. Fifth,
there was a small, thus far, unidentifiable wired device
found near the fragment at the crash site.


4. (S) While admittedly not an expert in this field of
forensics, Jones state that the above evidence raised the
possibility of an on-board explosion. Given that this
brought a new, possibly criminal dimension to what had
heretofore been a "normal" crash investigation, Jones
suggested the need for forensic experts in explosives and
fingerprinting to join the investigation.


5. (S) The Government of Nigeria's Director of Accident
Investigations had joined us at the hangar. We recommended
that he quickly alert the Aviation Minister, who was in
Abuja, to journey to Lagos to be briefed on this development.
The Aviation Minister came to Lagos this afternoon and has
visited the hangar. We are scheduled to meet with him later
today to coordinate next steps. Even before that meeting, we
stressed to the Accident Investigations Director the need to
prevent further compromise to the site. We emphasized to him
the enhanced need to fence the site and to keep on-lookers
off the premises. We also cautioned that the GON should
prevent compromising the investigation by eschewing premature
public statements or speculation in the press about the cause
of the accident.


6. (S) After we talk to Aviation Minister Borishade, we
believe he will seek to brief President Obasanjo at the
earliest opportunity. At that juncture, the GON security
agencies will be brought in and will of course have the lead
in any criminal aspects of the investigation. However, they
sorely lack in the necessary expertise. The will need our
assistance in this aspect of the investigation, as they have
needed our expertise in all other aspects of this
investigation.


7. (S) Legatt Lagos has informally contacted FBI
headquarters about the need for explosives and fingerprint
forensic experts.


8. (S) Action Request: Post requests Washington send a
team of explosives and fingerprint forensic experts to assist
in the investigation of the Bellview crash.
BROWNE