Joe Cafasso's newsletter, Broken Arrow

These are messages that were exchanged between Joe and some other individuals regarding the Flight 800 stand he took with Donaldson, which I referred to earlier here. I am aghast at the amount of money we're talking about wasting on resources on this, and his lofty expectations, considering his lack of expertise in any area besides scam artist and leech.

Mr. Joseph Cafasso - ARAP/Broken Arrow ARAP@justicemail.com

Dear Mr. Cafasso:

Your response to my communication yesterday included the following:

"Thank you for your e mail. No I have not received any data from my FOIA Request to date. I do know of the cites as you noted and have been waiting especially from an official reply from the FBI.

Moreover, I also know that the US Government was in a very high state of alert during this time period with the White House brushing the dust off of Contingency Plans in the event of a terrorist strike.

I have been waiting for a reply from the FBI and realize that you are backed up. If there is anyway to assist me in retrieving any of the information that I requested, I would appreciate it".

Your FOIA request to officialdom is so extensive it would take an army of bureaucrats 10 years to comply with if they had nothing else to do. You guys have been more intent on chasing moonbeams and posturing than in coming to grips with the fundamental issue of WHAT the witnesses actually saw, WHERE it was when they saw it and WHEN that was in the TIMELINE of events.

The missile shootdown notion arose out of the inept "analysis" by the press and James Kallstrom of what the STREAK witnesses saw. With the exception of a few such as Fred Meyer, all they saw was the zoom of the streak and the boom of the massive fireball explosion. Kallstrom and the press jumped to the conclusion that zoom+boom=missile shootdown. It doesn’t. It never did.

Zoom+boom=missile shootdown=knee jerk reaction.

You contend in effect that the members of ARAP and the staff of Broken Arrow were fully knowledgable about the source reference URL’s included in my communication yesterday. Why then do the members of ARAP and the staff of Broken Arrow seem so oblivious to what’s so glaringly obvious in those URL’s?

Read Meyer’s presentation to the Granada Forum carefully. Look at Meyer’s press graphic carefully. Look at the NYANG annimation graphic, prepared after Meyer and his crewmates were debriefed, carefully. Read the personally prepared detailed report of Sven Faret & Ken Wendell carefully. Look at the CIA letter to Kallstrom about the satellite sighting of the massive fireball explosion about a mile above the surface carefully. Look at the radio report of McClaine, time stamped at 8:31:50, carefully. Look at the Airborne Witness Matrix in NTSB Exhibit 4A carefully.

Then ask yourself 2 questions.

1. Will the report of the massive fireball and request for clearance to leave the pattern radioed in by Meyer’s helicopter be timestamped at about the time of the initiating event that decapitated the 747 at 13,780 feet at approximately 8:31:11 or at about the same time McClaine radioed his report of the massive fireball explosion timestamped at 8:31:50?

2. How viable will the missile shootdown allegations of ARAP and the staff of Broken Arrow be if the radio report and request for clearance immediately after Meyer’s observations is timestamped at about 8:31:50?

http://twa800.com/Pages/Members.html lists the following members of ARAP:

Admiral Thomas Moorer USN/Ret
Admiral Moorer, is the former Chairman of the JointChief's of Staff
and the most Senior Retired Military Officer in the Group

Brig. General Ben Partin, USAF/Ret
General Partin was instrumental in developing continious rod-missile
systems.

CMDR. William S. Donaldson USN/Ret
Commander Donaldson is the former Officer-in-Charge of Carrier Battle
Groups Air Traffic Control Center, an air crash investigator and the author of the Interim Report to Congress on TWA Flight 800

Captain Al Mundo TWA/Ret
Captain Mundo is a retired TWA Pilot

Captain Howard Mann TWA/Ret
Captain Mann is a former TWA Pilot, an air crash investigator, participating in four air crash investigations during his career and the most senior retired commercial pilot in the group.

Major Fred Meyer NYANG/Ret
Major Meyer is a decorated Vietnam Pilot and an eyewitness to the downing of TWA Flight 800.

Rear Admiral Mark Hill, USN/Ret
Admiral Hill, is the former Commanding Officer of the USS Independence and an Air Crash Investigator.

Surely you are not contending that 2 retired Admirals and 1 retired General don’t collectively have enough influence to persuade either the FBI or the NTSB to release to the public the transcript of the ATC tape with the radio report and request for clearance from Meyer’s helicopter - NOW, only days short of three years after the disaster and over 2 years since the transcript of the ATC tape transcript that included McClaine’s radio report was released to the public.

Or does ARAP and the staff of Broken Arrow contend that it would be a waste of time for those gentlemen to even try because the fact that the FBI or NTSB have not released that particular ATC tape transcript to the public for almost 3 years now is evidence that there is something in that
particular ATC tape transcript that some members of officialdom are engaged in a continuing criminal conspiracy to cover up?

Meyer contended in his presentation to the Granada Forum that the massive fireball was immediately preceeded 3 to 4 seconds by 2 "ordnance" explosions. His press graphic dramatizes the close proximity of the "ordnance explosions" to the massive fireball explosion. The NYANG annimated graphic dramatizes the close proximity of those described events even more with the massive fireball explosion ENGULFING the reported preceding explosions.

Faret & Wendell adamantly contend that the massive fireball explosion was at 7500 feet. NTSB Exhibit 4A documents officialdom’s allegation that massive fireball altitude estimates of the other airborne witnesses were similar - or lower. The CIA and NTSB contend that the massive fireball explosion was "about a mile above the surface. The available ATC tape trancript documents that McClaine reported the massive fireball explosion 39 seconds AFTER the alleged "flak" shootdown of the 747 at 13,780 feet.

If the massive fireball explosion was at 7500 feet or less and 36-39 seconds [allowing up to 3 seconds reaction time for McClaine to get on the radio after he saw it] AFTER the alleged "flak" shootdown of the airliner at 13,780 feet, what size would the massive fireball explosion have had to be to ENGULF the "flak" explosions?

It’s only common sense that Meyer did not and could not have seen a missile shootdown of the airliner at 13,780 feet only 3 to 4 seconds before he saw the massive fireball explosion at 7500 feet or less.

I raised that issue with Meyer directly and excerpts from our email exchange were as follows - which included some information volunteered by Meyer that was further enlightening:

From: eb4 To: fmeyer8775@aol.com Date: 05/12/98 14:48:16 Subject: TWA
Flight 800

"In that presentation [to the Granada Forum], it appears that you very carefully and precisely described the sequence of events that you observe along with a similarly careful and precise estimate of the elapsed time between the events that you saw, including a total of 3 to 4 seconds between what appeared to you to be a "flak" explosion and the eruption of the Massive Fireball. The altitude at which the Initiating Event took place that decapitated TWA Flight 800 was 13,700 feet. Private pilot Sven Faret and his passenger, Ken Wendell, prepared a similarly detailed repor of what they saw of the disaster which can be reviewed in its entirety by clicking on http://www.webexpert.net/rosedale/twacasefile/aviator.html an it will be noted that they flew over to the smoke cloud left by the Massive Fireball and stated that the top of it was at 7700 feet and the middle at 7500 feet, from which it seems reasonable to conclude the Massive Fireball erupted at about 7500 feet or less. The obvious question How could you have seen a "flak" shootdown of the 747 at 13,700 feet only 3 to 4 seconds before you saw the Massive Fireball erupt at 7500 feet?"


From: FMeyer8775 Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 09:27:07 EDT
To: eb4@ix.netcom.com Subject: Re: TWA Flight 800

"Whoever you are ; since you do not extend to me the courtesy of identifying yourself: The answer to your question: I don't know .

There are some obvious possibilities; 1. My estimate of time is off - perhaps because my heartrate was accellerated by adrenalin. UPON A RECAP WITH MY CREWMATES WE ALL ESTIMATED THE TIME IT TOOK THE FIREBALL TO FALL AT APPROX, 10 SECONDS [emphasis added]. And yet our perception was that i fell slowly. Our time estimates are probably erroneous. But - we tell wha we saw and estimated; let the experts sort it out".


Officialdom contends that the falltime of the massive fireball flames to the surface was 8 seconds. The foregoing documents that Meyer contends he and his crewmates ALL estimated the falltime was approximately 10 seconds.

It’s obvious Meyer’s observations of the streak tracked to the massive fireball explosion (via 2 small immediately preceeding explosions) that took place at 7500 feet or less 36-39 seconds AFTER the initial event started tearing the 747 apart at 13,780 feet.

It’s equally obvious from a review of the reports of the alleged missile shootdown witnesses at his website http://www.twa800.com/ that they also saw the streak track to the massive fireball explosion that took place at 7500 feet or less 36-39 seconds AFTER the initial event doomed the airliner at 13,780 feet.

Please provide Admiral Moorer, Admiral Hill and General Partin with a complete copy of this and my communication to you yesterday including the reference source URL’s and convey to them my request that they ask both the FBI and NTSB to immediately publicly release the ATC tape transcript of the radio transmissions from Meyer’s helicopter to the tower to determine for themselves when radio report and request for clearance to leave the pattern was timestamped.

I predict it will be at just about the same second that McClaine’s radio report of the massive fireball explosion was timestamped - 8:31:50. 36-39 seconds AFTER the initial event doomed TWA Flight 800 and all aboard at 13,780 feet.


Elmer Barr

P.S. A copy of my communication to you yesterday follows for your convenience in complying with my request:

Dear Mr. Carfasso:

My only real area of expertise applicable to the Flight 800 investigation is my experience dating back to 1947 interviewing thousands of witnesses and analyzing the reports of thousands more. http://judiciary.senate.gov/51099f5.pdf is a 3-28-97 letter from the CIA to James Kallstrom which states in part as follows:

"When it reached an altitude of about 1 mile - 42 seconds after the initial onboard explosion -the aircraft's left wing separated from the fuselage,releasing the unburned fuel in the left wing's fuel tanks. The fuel's subsequent ignition and burning produced a dramatic fireball visible to eyewitnesses more than40miles away, and detected by an infrare sensor aboard the US Defense Support Program (DSP) missile warning satellite."

http://hometown.aol.com/bardonia/meyer.htm is the detailed presentation o witness Fred Meyer regarding his observations of the disaster and it includes reference to radio communications between his NYANG helicopter and that particular airfield. It’s my understanding that the FBI at the outset took possession of all the various ATC tapes having any possible relationship to the disaster including the airfield referred to - which tape reportedly documents and time stamped the discussions between Meyer’ helicopter and that tower both before and after the massive fireball explosion witnessed by the helicopter crew.

It appears that your 3-28-98 FOIA request included reference to the documents related to satellite sighting of the massive Fireball. Did your FOIA request include the various ATC tapes, including the one referred to pertaining to Meyer? Have you received any of the requested documentation todate?

A copy of my self explanatory 7-8-99 communication to The New York Observer follows the below excerpts of your FOIA letter.
http://www.homestead.com/ARAP/ARAP35.html

December 28, 1998
Mr. J. Kevin O'Brien
Chief FOIA & Privacy Section
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Room 6958 J. Edgar Hoover Blgd.
Washington D.C. 20535
Re: Freedom of Information Act Request

Dear: Chief of Section

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552. I request that a copy of the following or documents containing the following information be provided to me: [excerpts] [1 thru 31 all available at the above URL]

8. Any and all "FBI Form 302" taken during the period between July 17, 1996 to January 1, 1997from any eyewitness that has gone public and or the following listed eyewitness that are documented to have gone public with their statements; Vasilis Bakounis, Chris Bauer, Vicent Bilodeau, Joseph McBride, Douglas Bushton, Robert Casola, Timothy Caufield, Zach Clanahan, Anthony Curreri, Lou Desyron, Tom Dougherty, Donald Eick, Fred Meyer, Brandi Ellison, John Gang, Edwin Evens, Sven Faret, Victor Fehner, William Gallagher, Albert Gipe, Richard Goss, Dogulas Graham, Richard Grauer, Margaret Greig, John Keyser, George Gabriel, Joyce Keyser, Rosa Gray Khalilch, Susan Kinscherf, Heidi Krieger, Frank Lenahan, Naneen Levine, David McClaine, Darou J. Miron, Philip Weiss, Jim Naples, Carolyn Osborne, Bill Patrick, Roland Penney, Lisa Perry, Paul Runyan, Colonel Stratemeier, Phyllis Terney, Carlo Verardi, Ken Wendall, Dr. Qunicy Gilliam, Dean Steward, Susan Smith, Susanne McConnell, Bill Lisle, Linda Cabot, Paul J. Angelides, and or including any presently or formerly employed federal and or airline employee with regards to TWA Flight 800 and or its investigation. Public Source Citations: The Interim Report to Congress on the Crash of TWA Flight 800 and the actions of the FBI and the NTSB, The New York Post September 22, 1996, Suffolk NY Police Reports Case # 96- 435598, ABC World News Sunday July 21, 1996, Accuracy In the Media Conference October 18, 1997, Fox TV Program Hard Copy, The Free Press Enterprise July 29, 1997 & October 20, 1997, Riverside Press July, 29, 1997, New York Observer November 24, 1997, Dan's Paper May 15, 1997, New York News November 9, 1996, API TV October 24, 1998, Fox News Channel October 24, 1998, World Internet News Distributory Service December 15, 1997, The Winds December 11, 1996, Coast to Coast with Art Bell, The Village Voice March 3, 1997. The New York Post September 22, 1996. NTSB Factual Group Exhibit #4 Docket # SA516, The Arizona Republic August 20, 1996, Chicago Tribune January 2, 1997.

9. Any and all reports, transcripts, graphics, audio/visuals, imagery including multi-spectral sensing, and or photographs taken on July 17, 1996 between the hours of 1600 and 2300, by any and all US Government, Foreign Government, and or Private Industry Satellite(s) with regards to TWA Flight 800 and or its investigation. Public Source Citation: The Time of London July, 26, 1996. The NY Daily News October 24, 1997.

10. Specifically, identify the US Secret Satellite as stated by the FBI to the NY Daily News on October 24, 1997 and or all Infrared, photographs, imagery, computer simulations, multi spectral sensing and or reports and or analysis that was used to establish the position for excluding any and all missile signatures. Public Source Citation: The NY Daily News October 24, 1997.

11. Any and all reports, transcripts, graphics, audio/visuals, optical, Inferred (IR), and multi-spectral sensing imagery of the TWA Flight 800 mid-air explosion by any and all US Government and or private industry satellite(s) as depicted and reported by both the FBI and CIA and made public in the FBI/CIA Video version of the explosion and break up sequence, introduced by Assistant FBI Director James Kallstrom and aired several times on nationwide television. Public Source Citation: FBI Press Conference November 18, 1997. ABC TV, NBC TV, CBS TV, CNN November 18, 1997. Please address all inquiries and replies to : Mr. Joseph Cafasso Th Broken Arrow 29 Swarthmore Drive, Carteret, New Jersey 07008, phone numbe 732-541-7733. [added: BAOL@justicemail.com ]

Thanking you in advance for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Joseph A. Cafasso Jr.
Publisher,The Broken Arrow
wc/jac
cc: Senator Charles E. Grassley
Senator Robert Torricelli
Senator John Chaffee
Congressman Robert Menendez
Congressman Bud Schuster
---------------
reference source: http://twa800.com/News/nyo7-12.htm
To: The New York Observer

The article by Philip Weiss in your week of July 12, 1999 issue titled "Radar Shows ‘Getaway Boat’ Fleeing Flight 800 Crash" includes the following: "That boat is extremely suspect," said William S. Donaldson, a retired Navy commander who supports the missile theory of the plane's destruction.

The article goes on to say:

"Commander Donaldson was then working closely with Representative James Traficant Jr., Democrat of Ohio, who was looking into the investigation for the House Aviation Subcommittee, and at the commander's prompting, Mr. Traficant sent a list of questions to the F.B.I. One asked if the F.B.I. has ‘been able to positively identify every single aircraft and surface vessel that was in the proximity of T.W.A. Flight 800 at the time of the accident’.

It took more than three months, but in July 1998 an acting assistant director answered the Representative: No. Lewis Schiliro acknowledged the presence of the mystery boat, which he said was at least 25 to 30 feet long and reached speeds of 35 knots, close to 40 miles per hour. "Despite extensive efforts, the F.B.I. has been unable to identify this vessel," he said. The response is somewhat alarming given the F.B.I.'s assurances that it had turned over every stone-and given the fact that many eyewitnesses on Long Island said they had seen a flarelike object streak up from the horizon before the explosion in the air. Yet the speeding mystery boat goes unmentioned in the mainstream press".

Mr. Weiss also stated: "Commander Donaldson pointed out that the explosion was ‘a huge physical event’ that filled the night sky behind the boat with a curtain of burning fuel. ‘It would be like having the sun come up at midnight right behind you,’ he said".

It does not appear from the article that Donaldson provided Weiss with a timeline for the sequence of events.

Officialdom contends that the initial event that caused the decapitation of the 747 was at approximately 8:31:11 at approximately 13,780 feet and that there were no witnesses to it.

The Air Traffic Control tape documents that the massive fireball explosio was reported by airline pilot David McClaine at 8:31:50 - 39 seconds afte the initial event.

Private pilot Sven Faret and his passenger, Ken Wendell, contend that the massive fireball exploded below their flight altitude of 8500 feet and state that they flew over to the smoke cloud it left and the top was at 7700 feet and the middle at 7500 feet.

Officialdom contends that the massive fireball explosion was "about a mil above the surface".

The Airborne Witness matrix of NTSB Exhibit 4A reflects that the airborne witnesses who gave estimates of the altitude of the massive fireball explosion estimated that it was at about that same altitude or lower. New York Air National Guard helicopter pilot Fred Meyer has stated that he and his crewmates all estimated that the falltime to the surface was approximately 10 seconds.

As noted, Weiss quotes Donaldson as contending that "many eyewitnesses on Long Island said they had seen a flarelike object streak up from the horizon before the explosion in the air".

Donaldson amplified that contention further in his Internet website http://www.twa800.com/ as follows:

"We have access to 107 witnesses on 4 aircraft, 19 boats, and 31 locations ashore. They were located in a 360° circle around the missile engagement. Their live testimony alone will prove the aircraft was shot down".

The obvious question is whether the witnesses saw the streak track to where the 747 was flying at 13,780 feet at 8:31:11 or to where the massive fireball exploded at 7500 feet or less approximately 36-39 seconds later [the lower figure allows 3 seconds for the reaction time of airline pilot McClaine to get on the radio after seeing the explosion].

Could the flames from the massive fireball have fallen to the surface from 13,780 feet in only about 10 seconds?

Did any of the witnesses report seeing two such huge fiery explosions? The second approximately 36-39 seconds after the first?

Is it not appropriate for Weiss to ask Donaldson to answer those questions and to ask that he specify at what time and altitude the alleged missile shootdown of Flight 800 took place?

In fairness to Donaldson, please ask Mr. Weiss to provide him with a copy of this communication for his review to give him the opportunity for any rebuttal to anything therein he might consider inaccurate or misleading before your further consideration or publication of these comments.

Your preparation of a graphic to include with any publication thereafter would likely be helpful to your readers. Major Meyer's press graphic is available at http://www.press-enterprise.com/headlines/twa800/html/pilot_reports_graphic.html and the personally prepared detailed report of witnesses Faret and Wendel at http://www.multipull.com/twacasefile/aviator.html as well as a NYANG graphic at http://www.infoshop.com/106rescue/twa800-pres/sld004.html

Elmer Barr

- - -

I had the following email exchange with NYANG Major James Finkle on 9 March 1999:

"Major James Finkle NYANG: It's my understanding that Major Bauer radioed the tower to report the Massive Fireball and for clearance to depart the area. If so, what time was the call logged in? Are such calls recorded and, if so, is a transcript of it available?

Major Meyer indicates that a Cessna called the tower moments before that and at that same time he saw the streak followed by 2 "ordnance" explosions followed immediately by the eruption of the Massive Fireball.
Again, if the calls to that tower are logged and/or recorded, what was the time of the call to the tower by the Cessna?"


The response from Major Finkle was: "According to the folks in the tower, the FBI took the tapes. We had wanted them for our unit history but the FBI has them".