SITREP 2 ON TURKISH AIRLINE PLANE CRASH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 000145 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR CA/OCS, DS/IP/EUR, EUR/WE, DSCC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC CASC EAIR NL SUBJECT: SITREP 2 ON TURKISH AIRLINE PLANE CRASH Ref: (A) THE HAGUE 00136, (B) THE HAGUE 00140 ¶1. Summary: According to our current information, there were seven (not six, as previously reported) AmCit passengers aboard Turkish Airlines Flight 1951, which crashed upon landing at Schiphol Airport February 25. Four AmCit passengers are confirmed dead. One AmCit is seriously injured but has regained consciousness and is in stable condition. Another is in Amsterdam, uninjured, and has visited the Consulate General. The final, and until now unknown, AmCit was identified as a Turkish national and has returned to his family in Turkey. End Summary. -------------- AMERICAN CITIZENS -------------- ¶2. (SBU) CG Amsterdam has confirmed the following AmCits were killed during the February 25 crash (Note: a total of nine passengers and crew out of 134 people on board were killed): - Fred Richard Crognale (Shell employee, Houston area) - Ricky E. Wilson (Boeing employee, Seattle area) - Ronald A. Richey (Boeing employee, Seattle area). Their next-of-kin were notified by the Consul General on February ¶26. The likely fourth AmCit victim is John Salman (Boeing employee, Seattle area),but confirmation is pending identification by Dutch authorities utilizing dental records forwarded by Boeing. ¶3. (SBU) Michael Hemmer, the other Boeing employee on the flight, was seriously injured (reftel B). Consulate General staff confirmed his identity through photographs e-mailed to his wife. Mr. Hemmer remains hospitalized at Amsterdam's Free University Medical Center. He has regained consciousness and is in stable condition. ¶4. (SBU) The sixth known American passenger on board the crashed flight, Ronald Cleo Ledford, appeared at the Consulate General the morning of February 27 and reported he had been slightly injured in the crash. He had been treated at a local hospital and released. Consulate General staff have offered to provide whatever assistance is necessary. He has resources, accommodation and has been in contact with his family. ¶5. (SBU) A seventh passenger, Volkan Dagasan, has been determined by the Consulate General, with assistance from CG Istanbul, to have U.S. nationality. According to the Dutch MFA, Mr. Dagasan was slightly injured during the crash, treated at a local hospital, and released. He has returned to Istanbul, where CG Istanbul has been in contact with his family. ¶5. (SBU) Mrs. Hemmer and Mrs. Salman arrived at 1100 local time February 27 on a Boeing company jet in Amsterdam. Consular staff are providing all necessary assistance. Consular officers have been assigned to each family and are now taking the necessary steps to ensure the proper care and return of the bodies to the United States as soon as possible, which normally takes several days. We are working with Dutch authorities to obtain as soon as possible the last formal identifications. -------------- MISSING LAPTOPS -------------- ¶6. (SBU) RSO and FBI A/LEGATT will be meeting with Dutch officials at 1400 local time and expect to take possession of all four of the Boeing laptops (reftel B). -------------- INVESTIGATION -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The NTSB Team Chief told Embassy official it was too early to make any initial assessment of what caused the crash. He had heard press reports indicating engine failure, which was something the team was looking into - along with other possible causes. There are no/no indications the actual cause was anything other than an Qare no/no indications the actual cause was anything other than an accident - terrorism is not/not suspected. The NTSB team was enjoying good cooperation from the Dutch Safety Board. The Chief thought the NTSB team would be in country for about a week, depending on how weather affected the investigation. -------------- NEXT STEPS -------------- ¶8. (SBU) National Crisis Center and Foreign Ministry officials THE HAGUE 00000145 002 OF 002 continue to press local officials to provide us with official Dutch government confirmation of the remaining AmCit identities (Crognale and Salman). Under Dutch law, local authorities (the mayor) have overall control of emergency operations. Through superb cooperation between the Dutch forensic team on the ground, Mission law enforcement officials, the Consulate General staff, Texas authorities, the victims' employers and the FBI, we were able to identify three of the victims. We will continue to report on pertinent details as they develop. GALLAGHER