00-07-10          0700    Morning routine with a meeting.

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            It seems that the fuel sample taken from JFK has been lost.  The fuel had been seized by the TSB as standard procedure right after the crash.  A sample had been sent to QETE in Hull for analysis, and the remainder had been held at the TSB lab.  It seems that it was improperly marked and stored and has been thrown out.  We do not know the full details.  John hopes that QETE has analysis charts that are usable by LEAF.  LEAF is the name of the unit that did the fly over to determine fuel locations on the ground, part of the analysis to determine if the aircraft dumped fuel.  They need a known sample to conduct the comparison analysis.  If the charts are not available or usable, they intend to ask LEAF to group like fuel types.  This may show one type that corresponds to the route.  I questioned him as to whether this would be a positive identification, and John joked that it might be suitable for others in the TSB.  He knows that it is not a positive, but again, the TSB attitude is that they do not have to attend court or to verify anything.  The loss of the fuel is not new to me as John advised me about a week ago during a conversation.  

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            Was approached this afternoon by Brian LONDON.  He came into room 111 where I have the studio set up for the OM’s and 3-D photos.  He was surprised at the equipment and background, asking me what I was doing.  In fact, he informed me that this was the first time that he had seen the set-up, and he had no previous idea what I had been doing.  We had a short discussion over the file and the tall ships (which he is working on, everyone from the back office having finished with Swissair).  What strikes me as strange is that this equipment has been set up for over three months (I started the set-up on 00-04-04), and this is the first time that he has seen it.  I wonder if this accurately reflects just how much some of those in the back room knew about what was happening on the floor.  Yet, Brian presented much of the aircraft’s details while at the New York meeting, and has been tasked to prepare numerous reports, including the ‘Concluding Report’.  I understand that he has completed it and handed it in to Insp. LATHEM.