ATC Watcher

Just been watching the trial by media ( Live coverage on TV of parlamentary inquiry ) of 2 controllers involved in the above crash. It seems that some politicians and/or high officials decided to keep secret to the public ( and to the people involved in recovering debris ) that the cargo manifest included extremely dangerous poison gases and explosives, ammunitions, etc..) Now the 2 controllers that received the tel call from ELY on the cargo manifest and passed it on apparently to their superiors are the ones sitting in front of the parlementary inquiry and at the receiving end of the nasty questions...while the rescuers, by now all suffering from various diseases and handicaps, are screaming their anger at the ATC guys because they knew and did not tell.... politic stinks....

Roobarb

There is considerable mystery surrounding this crash. Allegedly, the first people on the scene were all dressed in white protective overalls who prevented access to anyone else. There is some speculation that the aircraft may well have been carrying either beryllium initiators for nuclear devices, or weapons grade plutonium when it crashed. This would explain the necessity to remove the material immediately, and might also explain the outbreak of cancers and lukaemias which are alleged to be a result of this.

Though some element of radioactive hazard has never been ruled out, there are others who attribute this to depleted uranium U238 in the aileron mass balances which was a common practice when this aircraft was built.

What has never been satisfactorily explained is why a cargo only aircraft could so easily have ditched in the Isjelmeer probably resulting in zero deaths.

I think that the crew were extremely concerned about the nature of their cargo, and its fate should the aircraft be lost.

ATC Watcher

As far as I can see I'm not sure the pilots knew exactly what they had on board. The manifest from New York to Ams (now available and readable in the press here)) mention explosives, ammunitions (cartridges) F-16 spare parts and missiles, as well as a number of poisonous gases apparently the engredients necessary to make nerve agents.
The men-in-white -overalls and O2 masks that appeared just after the crash and were picking up debris have now ( again according to the media) been identified as military Bacteriologic and Chemical experts belonging to the Dutch Ministary of Defence.The actual Prime Minister of Holland is reportely very mad at this because he ( again apparently) he was never told. the parlementary inquiry is attempting now to find out who knew what and when..
For memo the then Ministary of transport reported to the media that the aircraft only carried Flowers, Perfumes and videorecorders...
As to the reason of the crash, it is not directly the physical loss of 2 engines on the same side ( not apparently known by pilots )but the rupture of some hydraulic lines on that wing.Initially the aircraft was flyable and therefore could return to AMS .
As soon as they lowered the flaps, which on the 747 are linked to slats deployment, they had assymetric slats deployment , and combined with the lack of thrust on that wing . it rolled and inverted the aircraft, they could not maintain altitude and crashed.
This is at least what the accident report says in a nutshell.

10W

For more info on this accident and the current goings on take a look at the site below. It also has a download of the RT exchanges available.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~crash



[This message has been edited by 10W (edited 20 February 1999).]

__________________
10 West
UK ATC'er
Old enough to know better, young enough to carry on regardless.