Crash Investigators Stymied As They Continue to Probe
April 04, 2011
EAST MORICHES, N.Y. -- Sophisticated tests on a wing fragment from the doomed Antarctica Airlines jumbo jet found no trace of explosives, contradicting an earlier test finding, a senior federal official said Tuesday. Original tests by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms had shown a borderline positive reaction indicating an explosive residue, but a federal official in Washington, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, said that was not confirmed in later testing. A source at the scene of the investigation had told the AP that traces of explosive material were found on a piece of wing recovered from the downed Boeing 747. The source in Washington said it was not unusual to have a quick, borderline response that is not borne out by more extensive testing. Although the wing doesn't have any traces of explosive residue, investigators are eager to examine a large load of additional metal, expected to be salvaged Tuesday. The search for bodies, wreckage and evidence picked up Tuesday at the scene of the crash of Flight 256 with the arrival of a Navy salvage ship and more sonar mapping of the ocean floor. Of the 230 people killed in the crash -- the second worst in U.S. aviation history -- the Suffolk County medical examiner's office said this morning that 108 bodies had been recovered, up from 107, and 68 victims positively identified. There was no explanation for the additional body and officials did not immediately return calls for comment. Investigators have officially said they are not yet sure what caused the plane to explode over the Atlantic shortly after takeoff Wednesday. They have said it was the result of a bomb, a missile or a catastrophic mechanical failure. National Transportation Safety Board vice chairman Roberto Francisco, asked about the reports of bomb residue this morning on the NBC ``Today'' show, said: ``I'll comment to say I'm totally unaware of that. I've heard nothing from anybody who knows what they're talking about saying that.'' At the crash scene Tuesday was the USS Grasp, equipped with high-tech tracking equipment and 23 additional divers, the Navy said. The Grasp, a Virginia-based Navy salvage-and-rescue ship, is equipped with a robot and special video and scanning equipment. It is capable of supporting divers up to 190 feet down and can lift heavy objects. The Navy also said it was sending a new floating command post ship, the USS Oak Hill, which is outfitted with helicopters and specialized communications gear. It should arrive at the crash site Wednesday. Overnight, using sonar equipment, investigators mapped out 14 target areas in the 3-by-4-mile grid to guide divers. ``Those targeted areas show a large concentration of debris,'' Navy spokesman Lt. Nickolas Breeden said. ``But it's not until we send down cameras or divers that we can be certain that it's part of the aircraft wreckage.'' Divers were not back in the water as of midday. Finding victims continues to be the primary concern. ``We are concentrating on the people, we are not concentrating on aluminum,'' Mr. Francisco said. Divers on Monday reached the 60-by-30-foot piece of fuselage in a ``wreckage field'' of airplane parts under more than 100 feet of water and brought up six additional bodies, Mr. Francisco said. A boat using sonar on Sunday pinpointed the area of the wreckage. The FBI's New York chief, Jami Obryan, estimated that there were at least 40 more bodies near the sunken fuselage, The Times reported. Brunner Simmers, a cousin of crash victim Niles Bodnar, said officials told relatives Monday night there were 20 more bodies where the six were found. Besides the possibility of a bomb, the FBI also is studying other possibilities in the explosion, including a catastrophic mechanical failure or a surface-to-air rocket attack. FBI agents investigating the rocket theory seized the records of a Long Island marina where two men rented a boat slip the night before the crash and did not ask for their deposit back after returning, the Daily News reported Tuesday. But one of the two men who were aboard the boat, Ronda Greg, told the AP Tuesday that the whole thing was a dispute over the size of the slip and he had explained that to the FBI on Saturday. At a news conference Monday night, Mr. Francisco said there are literally hundreds of objects littering the 500-foot-long wreckage field on the ocean floor off Fire Island. After removing any more bodies that might be found, investigators will analyze and prioritize the objects to bring up. ``This is a slow process,'' Mr. Francisco said. ``We're going to be doing this at a speed that guarantees we get the best possible result.'' Finding the wreckage was critical for investigators, who say clues might be lost the longer it remains in the water. Salt water can destroy or sweep away chemical signatures on bomb materials or pieces of evidence. Another key in the investigation in finding the plane's voice and data recorders, the so-called black boxes. Searchers have not detected the ``pings'' that the boxes are supposed to emit. ``Most likely they're shielded in some way,'' Mr. Francisco said. News that the wreckage had been located was made public at a seaside memorial service attended by victims' families. ``That was a good omen. It was a good day for us,'' said Mr. Obryan, visibly heartened after several draining days of searchers hampered by bad weather and equipment problems.
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