01-11-07          0730    To the FAA Tech Center. 

            ….

            Spoke with Gus SIDLA this afternoon about the AES report from Dr. BROWN.  He is proof reading it for Jim FOOT, and has received the preliminary final draft.  He does not have the appendices yet.  I asked him directly about the magnesium, and what the findings were.  It seems that Dr. BROWN has put the magnesium problem down to seawater contamination in all but two of the wires.  After doing FIB and the TEM procedures, he came to the conclusion that there is sufficient porosity in the beads to allow for the seepage of seawater under pressure, and this sufficiently contaminated the interior.  The two remaining beads (I don’t yet know which) show only a 7 percent reading, and he apparently feels that this is not abnormal.  Gus seemed to think that the matter has been put to rest and is no longer a problem with no answer.  I have no other data on the matter at this time.

(Clarification:)  Gus was speaking of Dr. Brown's third report.  This report was supplied only after he had been intimidated by the TSB member who told him to read the fine print of the contract.  If he did not supply a report acceptable to the TSB, he would not be paid for his services.  He was told that they did not want an issue with magnesium, but they wanted an accidental cause so that their safety recommendations would be enacted.  This report was therefore created illegally through the unlawful intimidation of a government witness.