Some 78 FBI documents comprised of letters, memorandums, reports and teletype communications were obtained from the U.S. Justice Department. All of these pertained to the crash of the Arrow Air DC-8 at Gander on December 12,1985. The total package contained approximately 280 pages and 239 of those pages were deleted. However, the little remaining material was enough to determine that the FBI's criminal division was involved in this case for a period of at least four months following the crash. It involved FBI field offices in Miami, San Francisco and Washington.

For example, within Exhibit 23 one discernable sentence says the following: "Exhibit for San Francisco is an LHM reflecting investigation conducted in Miami". Within the same Exhibit under the heading "At Fort Lauderdale, Florida" it says: "Conduct same investigation as set forth in Homestead lead for... (deleted)". In Exhibit 24 we find the words: "Enclosed for the Bureau is the original and five copies of an LHM setting forth results of investigation conducted by Special Agent (deleted) at San Jose, California, concerning captioned matter (balance deleted).

In a letter dated April 4, 1986 Arrow Air's counsel in Washington wrote the Assistant director for criminal investigations of the FBI inquiring on whether or not the FBI was involved in any "investigatory activities" relative to the Gander crash. (see Exhibit 25) On April 9, 1986 the FBI responded by saying: "The FBI did conduct a Foreign Police Cooperation investigation in this matter... (deleted)". (see Exhibit 26) It is also evident that this was done at the request of the RCMP.

In light of this testimony from the Arrow Air pilot and the FBI's admission of an investigation, on what grounds did the RCMP request the FBI to conduct this investigation? Especially when the FBI had been sent home from Gander just a few days after the crash by Canadian offiicials declining on at least two separate occasions offers of assistance from FBI forensics experts. These forensics experts are part of the FBI's explosives unit, laboratory division, FBI headquarters. An internal FBI memo says: "SSA (deleted) stated that FBI personnel were not given access to the crash site..." Why were the FBI forensics experts barred from the crash site the whole time they were in Gander and then Informed they were no longer needed roughly 48 hours after the crash? (see Exhibit 28)

According to Arrow Air pilot, Captain Stephen Saunders, one of the pilots who was interrogated by the FBI, here are some of the types of questions he was asked: "If an explosion occurred in "B" pit, what areas would be most adversely affected structurally and if hydraulic and flight control systems were adjacent would irretrievable or catastrophic failure occur? What seat row occupants adjacent to these cargo areas be most likely to be struck by schrapnel from these explosions?" (see Exhibit 27)

From the beginning, it is clear that the RCMP was conducting an investigation, an investigation strictly excluding the FBI. It wasn't until Arrow Air attorneys were informed that FBI special agents had conducted interviews with 3 of their pilots that it was clear that the FBI was conducting an investigation on the request of the RCMP. (see Exhibit 29) Finally, because 239 of the 289 pages of the FBI'S Gander file were deleted by the access to information section of the U.S. Justice Department, the extent, substance and findings of the FBI's investigation remain a mystery.