Here is the quote:
‘Maui police Lt. William Juan has said the NTSB is involved in determining a cause of death. However, the NTSB says that’s up to Maui County.
“I am the lead investigator over the accident but I don’t have jurisdiction over the county,” Struhsaker said, adding that the NTSB can provide information that will help determine a cause of death.
The investigation involves interviewing the people who were near Fuddy in the water, Struhsaker said.’
Yep, you’re right. Thanks for that link.
I’ve seen a list of records that the NTSB is exempted from disclosing in FOIA requests, and it includes records involving a right to privacy that outweighs the public interest, including autopsies. But the “public interest” in regards to NTSB investigations deals with the safety of transportation, not a criminal investigation.
A coroner’s report is compelled by state law in instances where it is assumed there is a public interest. The public interest in the results of a compelled autopsy is potential crimes and accountability. If that public interest wasn’t so justifiable and compelling, the autopsies wouldn’t be legally required. A coroner’s report would automatically have a public interest that outweighs any privacy concerns.
The NTSB’s role is to treat the EVIDENCE as if it was a crime scene. Determining cause of death for the victims is beyond their job.
But there was a link at the bottom of the page you gave me; it led to a page with a paragraph or two as a “teaser” and then you have to be a subscriber to see the rest. In that paragraph it said, “Spokesman Eric Weiss said a helicopter spotted what’s suspected to be the downed Cessna Grand Caravan about 400 to 500 yards off the north shore of Molokai at a depth of about 60 to 70 feet. The agency initially said recovery would be unlikely because the wreckage, belonging to Makani Kai Air, was thought to be at a greater depth. Login for more...”
It’s interesting that they refer to the wreckage as belonging to Makani Kai, because even though it belongs to Makani Kai, the wreckage site is to be considered by the NTSB as a crime scene that has to be secured. Makani Kai does not have jurisdiction to do anything with “their property” until it has been released to them by the NTSB. So the DC spokesman for the NTSB, Weiss, is trying to dance around the issue of who is supposed to have access to those remains. NTSB regulations regarding accident scenes can be read at http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/8020.11C.pdf
Makani Kai Air hired a helicopter to find that wreckage. They arranged for the salvage team to come get it. They helped lift it out of the water. It was disassembled before the salvage team got it out of the water - the engine from the rest of the wreckage, which would NOT happen by banging against rocks, even if there was wave action to bang it against rocks.
The NTSB wouldn’t tell anybody how the wreckage was found (see http://www.kitv.com/news/hawaii/crashed-plane-off-molokai-spotted-fuddys-body-transported-to-oahu/-/8905354/23515534/-/gv3m1w/-/index.html#ixzz2pTBBgFf7 ), who arranged for the salvage crew, or anything else. But it was ALL arranged, overseen, and done by Makani Kai Air (see http://www.kitv.com/news/hawaii/salvage-crew-begins-recovery-of-crashed-molokai-plane/-/8905354/23533820/-/14icjd9/-/index.html#ixzz2pTEpYtVl ), not the NTSB who was legally required to secure the crime scene from any tampering by Makani Kai Air or anybody else.
Turns out that the Makani Kai maintenance guy will be part of the NTSB team that takes apart and examines the engine in Canada at the end of this month. (see http://www.kitv.com/news/hawaii/report-confirms-pilots-account-in-molokai-emergency-landing/-/8905354/23717130/-/sy2wnjz/-/index.html#ixzz2pT8i1D1a )If the wreckage was to be considered a crime scene, the mechanic would have to be considered one of the prime suspects for any intentional sabotage - and yet he is going to be doing the investigation? The potential “suspects” have been allowed to find, dismantle, move, and turn in the evidence, and now they are being allowed to conduct the investigation into whether they committed sabotage.
Unbelievable.