Cablegate: Request for Assistance in Investigating Bellview

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

261711Z Oct 05

UNCLAS ABUJA 002070

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DOT FOR FAA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC EAIR ASEC AEMR AMGT NI BELLVIEW
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE IN INVESTIGATING BELLVIEW
CRASH

Ref: Abuja 2039

1. (U) This is an action cable. Please see paragraph 3.

2. (U) On October 25, 2005, post received the following
letter from President Olusegun Obasanjo. The text of the
letter is as follows:

Dear Ambassador:

Re: Crash of Nigerian Bellview Airline

On Saturday, 23rd October 2005, Bellview Airline Flight 210
from Lagos to Abuja with 117 passengers on board crashed in
Lisa, Ogun State, a few minutes after take-off. The plane
was a Boeing 737-400. The last radio contact with the plane
was 3 minutes after take-off. It crashed in the forest in
Lisa 7 1/2 nautical miles, north-east of the airport and
much of the plane disintegrated. The cause of the crash is
not known.

Given that we are not sure of the cause of the crash, and
investigation may require additional sophisticated
equipment, we would like to request that the United States
FAA and Boeing Corporation assist us with the investigation.
The Director-General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, had
earlier written in this regards. We look forward to this
cooperation.

Let me end finally by sending my condolences to the families
of the U.S citizens who lost their lives in the flight. It
has been a shock and a national tragedy for us all.

Yours Sincerely,
Olusegun Obasanjo

3. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST: The NTSB/Boeing team is on the way
and should arrive on October 27, 2005. In addition, post
requests specific assistance with the recovery and
identification of remains, given the urgent need to make a
confirmed identification of the remains of Office of Defense
Cooperation Chief Major Joseph Haydon.
CAMPBELL

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