SITREP ON TURKISH AIRLINE PLANE CRASH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 000140 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR CA/OCS, DS/IP/EUR, EUR/WE, DSCC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC CASC EAIR NL SUBJECT: SITREP ON TURKISH AIRLINE PLANE CRASH Ref: A. THE HAGUE 00136 ¶1. Summary: As of 1700 hrs local time, Mission has confirmation six American citizens, including four Boeing and one Shell employees, were on board Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 which crashed near Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands February 25. Mission has been unable to confirm whether any of the Americans died in the crash. Consular officers and Embassy officials continue to work with Dutch authorities to determine the current disposition of the six Americans. Terrorism is not suspected as the cause of the crash, and six NTSB officials and one FAA representative arrived February 26 to assist the Dutch Safety Board in its investigation into the crash. End Summary. -------------- AMERICAN CITIZENS -------------- ¶2. (SBU) CG Amsterdam has confirmation from the MFA that six American citizens were on board the flight, although Dutch authorities have yet to confirm their current whereabouts and well being. During an early afternoon press conference on February 26, Haarlemmermeer (the town where Schiphol Airport is located) Mayor Theo Wetering announced that seven American citizens were on board. Amsterdam suspects one Philippine national might be mistaken as an American. The Mayor also announced that of the 134 people on board the flight (passengers and crew),nine were killed and 63 are in the hospital (six with critical injuries). Three of the dead are Turkish nationals, and we presume those are the cockpit crew, none of whom survived the crash. The Mayor's office plans to release more information only when confirmed identities can be made. ¶3. (SBU) The list of American citizens on board is: ¶A. Ronald Cleo Ledford ¶B. Fred Richard Crognale (Shell employee, Houston area) ¶C. Michael T. Hemmer (Boeing employee, Seattle area) ¶D. Ricky E. Wilson (Boeing employee, Seattle area) ¶E. John Salman (Boeing employee, Seattle area) ¶F. Ronald A. Richey (Boeing employee, Seattle area) ¶4. (SBU) Post received information a patient at Amsterdam's Free University Medical Center may be Michael Hemmer but we have yet to confirm his identity. As this person is unrecognizable due to injuries incurred during the crash, we are working to get his fingerprints to send to Washington for identification. Post also 
received information from Amsterdam Police late February 25 that someone purporting to be an American passenger on board the crashed flight was seen exiting a tram car in central Amsterdam. Post has been unable to locate this person and is following up with Military Police investigators who have captured images of the alleged American citizen from the trams surveillance camera. Consular staff with CWDel and Embassy assistance has visited hospitals which received injured passengers to try and determine whether any are Americans. Several families of those Americans already identified as being on the flight (Boeing is sending a flight from the Seattle area) are due to arrive at Schiphol late February 26. Consular staff will meet them at the airport and provide all necessary assistance. Mission continues to try and determine the current disposition of the six American citizens on board as our top priority. -------------- MISSING LAPTOPS -------------- ¶5. (SBU) RSO has been in contact with the Boeing security office who advised Post the Boeing employees were DOD contractors on assignment in Turkey. The employees were carrying four laptop computers with possible commercially sensitive information. Dutch police located Qpossible commercially sensitive information. Dutch police located four laptops early February 26. Using the serial numbers provided by Boeing, Post is working to determine whether these laptops are the Boeing laptops. Should this be the case, RSO has written authorization from Boeing to take possession and secure these laptops. -------------- INVESTIGATION -------------- ¶6. (SBU) According to contacts at the Dutch National Coordinator for Counterterrorism, terrorism is not suspected as the cause of the crash. A six-person NTSB team and one FAA official arrived at THE HAGUE 00000140 002 OF 002 Schiphol early February 26 to assist the Dutch Safety Board (NTSB equivalent) with its investigation. They have already met with its Dutch counterparts and are visiting the crash site. According to the NTSB Team Chief, the NTSB enjoys a good working relationship with the Dutch. Boeing and GE (maker of the airplane's engines) authorities are also due to arrive at Schiphol to assist with the investigation. The NTSB team has not asked for any assistance from Post, but it knows we are ready to provide whatever is necessary. -------------- NEXT STEPS -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Mission staff remains in constant contact with local and national Dutch authorities, as well as the Turkish Embassy in The Hague and U.S. Embassy Ankara. We will continue to report on pertinent details as they develop. GALLAGHER