To Whom It May Concern At The NTSB:
U.S.Read and The Wave are requesting the following from the
NTSB related to
the debris field in Jamaica Bay, and debris found on land a distance
from
the crash site:
1. Make available all photographs and video NTSB may possess
taken in
Jamaica Bay on November 12th, 2001
2. The Public Information Division (DCPI) at the NYPD, has
stated to
U.S.Read that they will not release any photographs or videotape
taken by
the NYPD unless the NTSB explicitly gives the "o.k."
to do so. Therefore,
U.S.Read and The Wave request that the NTSB contact DCPI at the
NYPD and
grant that authorization. Phone number for Lieutenant Burke at
DCPI will be
provided below. NTSB should specifically request that pictures
taken by any
NYPD units, including but not limited to:
(a) The Crime Scene Unit (CSU) in Jamaica, NY
(b) The Harbor Unit at Floyd Bennett Field
(c) The 100th Precinct
... should be released to U.S.Read and The Wave.
The CSU has informed U.S.Read that such pictures are considered
"crime scene
evidence" and "are never released except under order
by a Judge". U.S.Read
informed CSU that the NTSB announced at the Flight 587 Hearings
that
criminal activity has been ruled out, but CSU needs to hear this
from the
NTSB. CSU's phone number will also be provided below.
3. NTSB has in their possession several pictures taken by Witness
# 321 of
debris in the Bay that he and his friends recovered and then turned
over to
either an NYPD or Coast Guard vessel. This witness' boat was just
east of
the flight path along with witnesses # 18 and #122. U.S.Read and
The Wave
request the release of all the pictures surrendered to you by
Witness # 321.
4. Several, if not dozens, of pieces of debris from flight
587 landed up to
3/4 statute mile away from the crash site, on land. Aside from
the engines
and tail section, the NTSB has provided no pictures in the Structures
reports of that debris. Your Structures Report mentions the "left
wingtip"
at 116th Street but there was no specific mention or pictures
of the
following, for example:
(a) two "panels" found on the roof of the Rockaway
Sunset Diner at 116th
Street and Beach Channel Drive. These pieces were at least 8 square
feet
each.
(b) Witness # 292 describes a 4 foot by 4 foot section picked
up at 116th
street
(c) the left winglet at 125th street and Cronston Ave.
(d) what appeared to be a crew member's or flight attendant's
seat belt near
the winglet at 125th street. I have the names of the two residents
who
picked it up and surrendered it to the authorities. The seat belt
was
slightly sooted and left some residue on their hands.
U.S.Read requests the release of pictures (with descriptions)
of all debris
recovered away from the crash site and that the NTSB produce a
map of this
debris field. Seasoned Air Crash Investigators are surprised to
learn that
such a map does not exist.
5. On July 10th, 2002, a Rockaway resident submitted to an
NYPD detective
charred pages from a book (in english text) entitled "Manual
of Islamic
Behavior", that were said to have been recovered at the crash
site. The FBI
recovered other pages from this book on the day of the crash.
The resident
who surrendered the pages from this book to the NYPD did so with
the
understanding that a copy would be made and returned to this resident.
This
was not done. The NYPD forwarded these pages to FBI Special Agent
(name
withheld) in Queens, NY. The NYPD stated to U.S.Read that this
is "an
ongoing criminal investigation". U.S.Read sees yet another
instance where
the NTSB should update the NYPD (and perhaps the FBI) that this
is an
ongoing "accident" investigation. This might encourage
the FBI to release
the pages from the book back to the resident, or, if the FBI has
connected
these pages to a specific passenger on board 587, then perhaps
the Family
Affairs Office at the NTSB should ensure that the family of the
passenger
will be given this and any other personal effects the FBI may
be
withholding. Either way, there seems to be no legal basis (since
there is
no criminal investigation) for the FBI to continue holding this
debris that
either belongs to the resident who found it or to the family of
the
passenger.
The requests for Jamaica Bay pictures have been initiated due
to
corroborated eyewitness statements in the NTSB's Flight 587 docket,
and in
followup interviews with those witnesses by U.S.Read, that:
(a) luggage and escape chute(s) were seen falling out of the
sky along with
flight 587 and ...
(b) luggage and possibly one escape chute/raft were seen floating
in Jamaica
Bay immediately after the crash.
NTSB's current position, as you informed U.S.Read, is that
no such debris
fell into the Bay, or away from the main crash site.
Contacts:
1. DCPI @ NYPD - 646-610-6700, ext 8792
2. Crime Scene Unit - 718-558-8822 and 8823
Thank you
Victor Trombettas
victor@usread.com
U.S.Read / The Wave