01-08-16          0700    Morning routine. 

….

From: "Garstang, John" <John.Garstang@tsb.gc.ca>        To: "Summers, Elaine" <Elaine.Summers@tsb.gc.ca>, "Lang, Tim" <Tim.Lang@tsb.gc.ca>

Cc: "Landriault, Louis" <Louis.Landriault@tsb.gc.ca>, "Hirtle, Cynthia" <Cynthia.Hirtle@tsb.gc.ca>, "Garstang, Lee" <Lee.Garstang@tsb.gc.ca>, 'Juby Tom' <tom.juby@ns.sympatico.ca>

Subject: Exhibit 14568: Fuel Sample Bottle     Date:  Thu, 16 Aug 2001 09:31:13 -0400

Elaine, Tim,

When I returned from Halifax on Monday 30 July 01, I found the referenced fuel sample bottle on my desk.  Louis informed me that Tim Lang had found the missing sample, gave it to you, and that you had given it to him, who in turn put it in my office.  Thank you.  I will try to see if I can get the LEAF Jet A fuel hit work analysis completed with this sample.

 I have now assigned the referenced Exhibit number to the sample, and I am trying to make a description of who originally took the sample, when, and where this was done so that we have it properly documented, and we can substantiate its origin and our test results based on it.  Louis marked in black ink "New York Sample" on a white label adjacent to the black marking "Swissair 111", since he said you advised him that it is from this location.  Is it from a JFK fuel tank?  I would greatly appreciate your help if either one of you could track down or confirm any of this information.  So far I am not having any luck finding any background data so that I can validate and record it.

            The bottle has another white label taped to it with the following markings "QETE Project # H016098 Sample 1".  I don't know if this is the TSB master sample or if it is a sample from it, and if so, I don't know where the fuel sample is that it came from so that I can reference it.  There is also a sticker with a red hatched border on it (presumably attached by QETE or by the TSB) that indicates a Product Identification as being "Crude Oil" with the blue ink hand written entry "Jet - A" printed adjacent to these words.  The sticker also has a Safe Handling/Personal Protection area that has the standard typed markings "Keep away from open flame Handle with care".  At the bottom of the sticker in blue is the markings "See Material Safety Data Sheet".  Adjacent to this sticker is another white sticker that has a hand written black marking "872" and "9/3/98".  I checked the "872" number with Cynthia to confirm that it was not an Exhibit number or RCMP task number (in E&R).  Presumably, this is someone's reference number, and most likely the date is the date that the sample was collected (03 September 1998).  Did this sample come from the NTSB or FAA? 

Regards   John   

(Clarification:)  LEAF is the acronym for Laser Environmental Airborne Fluorosensor, the process whereby a Dept. of Transport aircraft overflys the potential fuel drop area to take readings with laser and other instruments.  Different fuels provide different readings, unique to each source.  This sample now found by the TSB was from the fuel supply that last filled Swissair 111 in New York.  By comparing the ground readings to those of the aircraft sample allows the fuel dumping flight path to be identified.  By this time, we already were certain that VAUD had dumped fuel while flying over the Blandford area.  However, finding the fuel sample at this late date would never stand the test of court, not that providing such evidence in court was ever a concern for the TSB.