SITREP 5 ON TURKISH AIRLINES PLANE CRASH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 000148 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR CA/OCS, DS/IP/EUR, EUR/WE, DSCC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC CASC EAIR NL SUBJECT: SITREP 5 ON TURKISH AIRLINES PLANE CRASH Ref: Ref: (A) AMSTERDAM 00027, (B) AMSTERDAM 00026, (C) THE HAGUE 00145, (D) THE HAGUE 00140, (E) THE HAGUE 00136 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Consulate General continues to provide assistance to American citizens and family members. The Dutch government is discussing plans for a memorial service, but there are no confirmed details. The investigation at the crash site is to wrap up on March 3 when the plane will be moved to an undisclosed, indoor location. Mission has begun to look into compensation details for those surviving passengers and victim families. -------------- ASSISTANCE TO AMERICAN CITIZENS -------------- ¶2. (SBU) At the request of family members of Michael Hemmer currently in the Netherlands, ConOffs arranged with Dutch officials to visit the crash site on March 2, accompanied by representatives from Boeing. ConOffs will take photographs at the site should the AmCit survivors and family members of the other victims wish to see them. ¶3. Designated ConOffs are also in daily contact with the family members of the four fatalities, Mr. Crognale, Mr. Richey, Mr. Salman and Mr. Wilson, and with AmCit Fatma Nur Cicekdag who is here to care for her hospitalized son. AmCit Ronald Ledford has so far not availed himself of offers of assistance and has relocated from a hotel outside Amsterdam to an Amsterdam hostel. -------------- MEMORIAL SERVICE -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Post has been told plans for a memorial service are under discussion, but neither a date nor location has been fixed. Despite reports from local officials involved in the crisis response, the Dutch government has not yet decided whether this will be a "national" or "local" service (reftel D). According to the Dutch Ministry of Interior, the Interior Ministry would take the lead in organizing the service if it is a "national" event while the Municipality of Haarlemmermeer (where the accident took place) would take the lead on a "local" service. The Turkish Ambassador indicated to the Embassy a lack of enthusiasm for a memorial service at this time. -------------- CRASH INVESTIGATION -------------- ¶4. (SBU) NTSB Team Chief Joseph Sedor advised Post on March 2 the investigation on the ground is moving along very well, but it was still too early to make a determination on the cause of the crash. Sedor conceded, however, that press reports the engines failed were untrue as initial indications on the ground are that the engines remained in relatively good condition following the crash. The investigation at the crash site is wrapping up, and Dutch authorities planned to move the aircraft on March 3 to an undisclosed, indoor location for further investigation. The Dutch Safety Board (DSB) and Police will be in charge of the investigation site. The DSB planned to hold a press conference March 4 with its first public preliminary findings. The DSB asked the NTSB to participate, but Sedor declined as a matter of NTSB policy. ¶5. (SBU) The NTSB team is beginning to draft its field notes, and most of the team plans to return to the United States by March 5. A few team members - at the request of the DSB - would likely travel onto Turkey to review the maintenance records of the aircraft. Sedor commented that the DSB hospitality to him and his team has been "overwhelming." Sedor is tentatively schedule to debrief U.S. Mission personnel at a meeting at the Consulate General March 5. Q -------------- PASSENGER COMPENSATION -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Post has contacted the local sales office of Turkish Airlines to inquire about passenger compensation surrounding the crash but has not yet heard back. Boeing contacted the Consulate General and advised that Turkish Airlines had already reached out to Boeing seeking contact information for the AmCit Boeing employee survivor and the relatives of the fatalities regarding compensation information. Boeing refused to provide such information and referred the airline to the State Department. Boeing believes that surviving relatives of fatalities would be offered a compensation package in the area of 50,000 Euros. Post will continue to reach out to airline officials locally to obtain compensation details, at THE HAGUE 00000148 002 OF 002 which time ConOffs will forward such information to the survivors and victims' families. GALLAGHER