VZCZCXRO4988
OO RUEHAT
DE RUEHTC #0145/01 0581420
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 271420Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2604
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA IMMEDIATE 0714
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL IMMEDIATE 0210
RUEHAT/AMCONSUL AMSTERDAM 4162

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