VZCZCXRO6986
OO RUEHAT
DE RUEHTC #0148/01 0611608
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 021608Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2609
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA IMMEDIATE 0716
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL IMMEDIATE 0212
RUEHAT/AMCONSUL AMSTERDAM 4164

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