BEHIND THE SCENES REPORT ON AIR CRASH KILLING CHINESE COMMUNIST DELEGATES TO BANDUNG CONFERENCE

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02730155
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: August 25, 2022
• Case Number: F-2021-00652
• Publication Date: August 16, 1955

Approved for Release: 2022/06/27 CO2730155
v SEE BOTTOM OF PAGE FOR ADDITIONAL SPECIAL
CONTROLS, IF ANY/)- !? .,c--.,? sr-e, 3
This material contains information affecting the
National Defense of the United States within the
meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title 18, U. S. c.
Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation
of which in any manner to an unauthorized per.
son is prohibited by law.
-e-e-ii-P.-I-
, INFORMATION REPORT
PREPARED AND DISSEMINATED BY
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
COUNTRY ,
::India/Tndones ia
REPORT NO.
00� a4375714
SUBJECT
Behind the Scenes Report on Air Crash Killing Chinese
Communist Delegates to Bandung Conference
DATE DISTRIBUTED .
/6 4t,cf
NO. OF PAGES NO. OF ENCLS.
SUPPLEMENT TO REPORT
PLACE ACQUIRED (By source)
'' '"'
RESPONSIVE TO
00/C- G-- 15
DATE ACQUIRED (By source)
Up to Jul 55
DATE OF INFORMATION (Date or dates, on or between which,
events or conditions described in report existed)
Up to Jul 55
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
SOURCE US citizen, one of several unofficial observers during
the air crash killing Chinese delegates to the Bandung
He travels continuously on behalf of his US principals
on civil and military air activities in the various
Whenever a major air crash occurs, it is one of his
diately proceed to the scene and learn as much as
He has had many years experience in this type of
long time acquaintance with influential government
� the countries of the Far East. His reliability is
g011ector's Note: Because of censorship and other
servers' reports on the air crash in which the Chinese
Bandung conference were killed, were somewhat incomplete.
prepared and written hy source after he was able
from mail censorship...I
1. In April 1955 1 learned of the Air India al.rcraft
and received instructions to proceed immediately
accident occurred in Indonesian waters. After some
a visa to the area, I finally secured telephonic
visa and arrived there in early May. The first salvage
scene arrived at Tandjong Priok, Djakarta on 8 May
salvage to follow on another vessel. The first vessel
on schedule at the Indonesia navy yard. This
of the fore and aft cabin sections, engines number
miscellaneous small items and. 'passenger luggage.
No detailed examination was made at that time.
. The off loading was a real whizz bang affair. The
would be a quick whizz followed by a loud bang and
had been unloaded. Eventually everything was taken
accident committee members and observers settLed
of the BELANTIK with the remainder of the wreckage.
the investigation
Conference.
to examine
countries of the
responsibilities
he can about what
investigation, as
and business leaders
not questioned.
problems, unofficial
delegates to
This report
to proceed to a country
KASEMIR PRINCESS
to the vicinity where
difficulty in
approval to proceed
from the accident
with the balance
the GADJAH
lot of salvage
one, three, and
of
and report
Far East.
to imme-
happened.
well as a
in
ob-
the
was
free
accident
the
securing
sans
of the
LAUT arrived
consisted
four and
(t
crane would reel,
another piece of
off the salvage
down to await the
committee members
a meeting on board
Chaves (ICAO),
(k
there
wreckage
barge and
arrival
and ad-
the ship
Mr
Newton
3. The BELANTIK
arrived on 10 May and all the accident
were informed that there would be
morning at 0800. Captain
(Dept of Civil Aviation, Hong Kong),
visory personnel
on the following
Muspratt-Williams
a Mr
dot. The balance
The group was
the tarpaulins
could
port and starboard
section, number
galley equipment,
(Accident Inspector, UK) arrived at the dock on the
committee arrived in 'spurts between 080Q and 1200.
Navy launch to where the BELANTIK was anchored and
from the wreckage so that another pre-unloading examination
The items in this lot of salvage consisted of the
complete with main landing gear, the flight station
and a hodge podge of bits and pieces including seats,
of the
taken by
were removed
be made.
wings
two engine
sections
DISTRIBUTION
STATE
ARMY
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AIR
FBI
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00-B-87574
of flooring, radio gear and fragments of structure. No tail assembly -- it
was never found.
4. During the course of this inspection our attention was directed to the area
between station 145 and station 191 of the starboard wing. Definite indica-
tions of concussion and fragmentation were evident throughout the entire area,
The Committee Chairman then suggested that all present proceed to the Dept of
Civil Aviation offices in the city and continue the discussion.
5. After considerable delay the long awaited evidence arrived under guard. Sure
enough, foul play. We were asked to inspect fragments from some type of clock-
work mechanism. These pieces had been found buried in mud in the top corruga-
tions of the starboard wing between WS/145 and WS/191. This wing was found
lying bottom-side up on the ocean floor. The find was made by Mr
Maihotra Director General, Civil Aviation for India, in the presence of Mr
Appuswamy, Chief Inspector for Air India, Dr Imaman� an
Indonesian, Chairman of the Accident Investigation Committee, and Dr
Sutomo, also an Indonesian, Secretary for the investigating committee. As
this wing was the last bit of wreckage to be recovered, the finding of these
peculiar items did not detract from the thorough examination of all wreckage
previously recovered. Mr Malhotra stated that considerable time had elapsed
between the raising of each item of wreckage and that more than sufficient
time was available to thoroughly inspect each bit of wreckage immediately after
recovery. He also mentioned it was very fortunate that the Chinese represen-
tatives aboard had become a bit weary of going through the wreckage and were
not present at the time they found the clockwork mechanism.
6. The bits from the alleged infernal machine appeared to be the parts from an
everyday vanilla type inexpensive pocket watch. One item consisted. of two cir-
cular plates approximately 2" in diameter and were separated by four diametrically
opposed spacers 1/4" long. Stamped on one plate and very distinct was "F"'""'S".
At this point the picture began to look more than suspicious. The small lever
assembly that is usually found as part of the above F-S adjustment was a bit
burned but easily recognized. A small hand made copper gear about the size
of a dime was found, also a piece of shaft with burned hairspring welded to
it, one small copper screw and two-thirds of a rectangular metal flange (approxi-
mately x 4" would have been the original size) and an assorted selection
of blobs of metal that could have been anything.,
7. Back to the safe with the evidence, and we were on our way to see the Director
of Civil Aviation, Dr R Sugoto. He took the news in stride and said "fine,
everyone goes to Hong Kong to carry on from that end." It was finally agreed
by all, that whoever had started this thing was playing for keeps and that find-
ing the culprit was a job for security people In Hong Kong.
8. Along with several others, I did not go to Hong Kong. Those of us who remained
were to stay and supervise the un)oading of wreckage from the BELANTIK, remov-
ing parts that required laboratory study, and determining if any additional
information could be found in the wreckage.
9. The unloading of the BELANTIK was the same story as the GADJAH LAUT but with
trimmings. The ship was too large to come up to the dock where the wreckage
was being held so everything had to be transferred to a smaller barge. By the
time the crew had finished the off loading operation the wreck was really a
wreck. The whizz bang routine all over again but this time decorative fencing
around a Navy office building joined the wreckage, well kept grounds were messed
up, and the steel structure of an observation tower that happened to be within
swinging distance was damaged. The remaining committee members and observers
finally decided there wasn't much that could be learned from the balance of the
wreckage and it was all either thrown or dragged into an unused hangar.
NOFORN
NO DISSEM ABROAD LIMITED
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10. Efforts were concentrated on getting the starboard wing on the ground with a
minimum amount of damage so parts could be removed and pictures of the ex-
plosion area could be taken. Luckily this piece only bounced two feet. The
following items were made ready for delivery to the University at Bandung for
laboratory analysis:
Strut assembly
P/N 303226R
- 172
Strut assembly
P/N 303225R
- 164
Tube assembly drag link
P/N 283318-8
Tube assembly drag link
P/N 283319
Tube assembly drag link
P/N 283318-9
Tube assembly drag link
P/N 283319
The following day mid-May 195.i7 after the other members of the group had gone
for a ride, I was approached at my hotel by two very polite and slippery-
looking Chinese gentlemen who stated they had dropped in for a chat concerning
the accident. They said they had been so busy with other matters that they had
neglected to keep up with the developments of the investigation and would appre-
ciate it very much if I would be so good as to bring them up to date.
11. I knew they were part of the group of Chinese Communist representatives that
were onboard the BELANTIK during the salvage operations. I also knelt the
Indonesian government had not allowed any of them to attend any of the investi-
gation meetings nor had they been permitted to examine the wreckage after it
hpui arrived in Djakarta. I informed them the investigation had come to a
standstill because most of the committee members were in Hang Kong and that
nothing could be done until they returned because the committee as a body had
examined the wreckage as yet. This was a pretty safe story because there had
never been more than four individuals milling wound the wreckage at any one
time.
12. I later learned that every letter mailed to my wife, 'rho lives in another
country of the Far East, arrived sealed with scotch ta ut an the envelopes
after I mailed them. Two letters never did arrive notwithanding the fact
they contained nothing but usual family topics.
13. One US citizen who arrived in Djakarta concerning this matter recei. a tele-
phone call in which it was stated "white man we know why you are here,
know what is good for you, you will leave! "
14. All those who knew about the time bomb after the wreckage had been examined
were advised to keep it quiet and although the cause of the accident was deter-
mined on 11 May, nothing was released officially until 26 May.
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pproved for Release: 2022/06/27 CO2730155
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D-252,893. CIA, 00�B-87574
INDIi+YINDONESIA 16 AUG 55
BEHIND THE SCENES REPORT ON AIR
CRASH KILLING CHINESE COMMUNIST
DELEGATES TO BANDUNG CONFERENCE
(INFO UP TO JUL 55)
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