[1]:288. A safety board investigator later reviewed FBI interview notes and briefed other board investigators on their contents. MOST of the 230 people aboard TWA Flight 800 were killed quickly in mid air by "phenomenal whiplash" when the plane exploded, Tue Aug 20 1996 - 01:00 MOST of the 230 people aboard TWA. In July 2006, an abstract black granite statue of a 10-foot-high (3.0m) lighthouse was added above a tomb holding many of the victims' personal belongings. But James K. Kallstrom, who is heading the criminal arm of the investigation for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, told the Medical Examiner last week that he had no objection to the release of the autopsy reports to the next of kin. [1]:2 Weather in the area was light winds with scattered clouds,[1]:256 with dusk lighting conditions. On July 24, 2012, this FOIA release was re-uploaded to address technical issues. "You would see ripping, shredding and tearing of bodies" from a bomb in the cabin, he said. First, the time it took to isolate the circumstances that caused a very rare eventthe center fuel tank explosion, which, he adds, had never occurred with a 747. [1]:4 The last radio transmission from the airplane occurred at 8:30pm, when the flight crew received and then acknowledged instructions from Boston Center to climb to 15,000 feet (4,600m). However, after just 12 minutes, chaos ensued in the sky as an explosion occurred. [1]:262 These witness accounts were a major reason for the initiation and duration of the FBI's criminal investigation. "The NTSB was never able to pin-point the precise cause, but it was clear. In November 1996, the FBI agreed to allow the NTSB access to summaries of witness accounts in which personally identifying information had been redacted and to conduct a limited number of witness interviews. The flight departed at 8:19 p.m. in muggy, but "fairly clear" weather, according to The New York Times, blowing apart in a fiery explosion 12 minutes later. [44]:5 Included in some of the witness summaries were drawings or diagrams of what the witness observed. Vacationer Joanne Bechhoff canceled a birthday party she had booked for tonight on the sandy volleyball court at the water's edge because she said she simply could not bear to be in a place so closely linked to such a huge tragedy. They ask whether they smoked, since teeth would reflect tobacco stains, and whether they had moles and where. The explosion that occurred on TWA 800 was in the center wing fuel tank and was not from anything external, he says. The NTSB investigation ended with the adoption of the board's final report on August 23, 2000. 22b, p. 67, The pathways the wreckage took as it fell to the ocean[1]:fig. Recovery workers searching the wreckage of Trans World Airlines Flight 800 found the bodies of dozens of victims of the crash yesterday in a large area of debris on the ocean floor off Long Island. [1]:87 Because of accuracy limitations, these radar data could not be used to determine whether the aircraft climbed after the nose separated. [1]:309312 Among the recommendations was that significant consideration should be given to the development of modifications such as nitrogen-inerting systems for new airplane designs, and where feasible, for existing airplanes. Below is a list of those on board, according to family, friends or officials . Flight 800 was actually a training flight for Kevorkian, and he was seated in the captain's (left) seat. Almost immediately there was speculation that the plane had been the target of a terrorist attack, with many claiming theyd spotted what appeared to be a missile heading toward the plane just before it exploded. But for men and women untrained in dealing with trauma -- a group that includes thousands of vacationers who had come to this area for rest and restoration -- the pain of the crash is much harder to bear. The coroner who oversaw the autopsies on most of the victims of T.W.A. So far, only a couple of families have received the reports, and Dr. Wetli declined to give specifics. [1]:258 This included the pieces on which trace amounts of explosives were found. Plus, investigators applied extra diligence to accommodate a huge amount of pressure applied from many quarters to make absolutely sure this was not the result of a terrorist operation, or an errant missile fired by our, or some other nations, military.. [1]:58 The victims' remains were transported to the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office in Hauppauge, New York. [1]:94 Additionally, the occupants of the target track were unlikely to have been able to hear the explosions over the sound of its engines and the noise of the hull traveling through water, even more so if the occupants were in an enclosed bridge or cabin. [1]:94 Further, review of the Islip radar data for other similar summer days and nights in 1999 indicated that the 30-knot track was consistent with normal commercial fishing, recreational, and cargo vessel traffic. Funds for the memorial were raised by the Families of TWA Flight 800 Association. Critical analysis of injuries sustained in the TWA flight 800 midair disaster Critical analysis of injuries sustained in the TWA flight 800 midair disaster Critical analysis of injuries sustained in the TWA flight 800 midair disaster Critical analysis of injuries sustained in the TWA flight 800 midair disaster J Trauma. The close-up view of N93119's front fuselage, showing the seven plugged windows on the upper deck. Witnesses in the area of the crash reported seeing an explosion in the night sky, followed by a shower of flaming debris. Fuel-air explosion in the center wing fuel tank, In-flight breakup sequence and crippled flight, Analysis of reported witness observations, Possible ignition sources of the center wing fuel tank, Missile fragment or small explosive charge. The report on passenger Susan Hill, a homicide. N93119, the aircraft involved in the accident, in May 1995. [1]:288 Arcing signs were also seen on two wires sharing a cable raceway with FQIS wiring at station 955. They ask about shoe size and even type of shoes, since some victims were found with shoes still on. [1]:118 These samples were submitted to the FBI's laboratory in Washington, DC, which determined that one sample contained traces of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX), another nitroglycerin, and the third a combination of RDX and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN);[1]:118 these findings received much media attention at the time. [43]:165[45]:184, Within days of the crash, the NTSB announced its intent to form its own witness group and to interview witnesses to the crash. Trans World Airlines Flight 800 (TWA800) was a Boeing 747-100 that exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, on July 17, 1996, at about 8:31pm. To do so, all devices are protected from vapor intrusion, and voltages and currents used by the fuel quantity indication system (FQIS) are kept very low. A plastic bomb would not leave such traces, he emphasized. "You get a little used to it," he said. Each agency can call upon the other's laboratories and other assets. Head, thoracic, and abdominal injuries were multiple and severe, contributing to the mortality of the occupants. The tortuous search for bodies and plane remnants was delayed as rain, wind and fog rendered the Atlantic impassable for search crews. [54]:6. [1]:261 There were 50USgal (190L) of fuel in the CWT of TWA 800;[50] tests recreating the conditions of the flight showed the combination of liquid fuel and fuel-air vapor to be flammable. The flight crew started the engines at 8:04 pm. The four-year investigation into what caused the crash of Trans World Airlines Flight 800 was the longest, and at $40 million, the priciest in the history of the National Transportation Safety Board. "We can empathize and feel sorry for the families, but we still have a job to do. In the early days and weeks after the accident, the FBI was in charge because there was concern about it being a crime. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. EDT, 12 minutes after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport, on a scheduled international passenger flight to Rome, with a stopover in Paris. [1]:118, Further examination of the airplane structure, seats, and other interior components found no damage typically associated with a high-energy explosion of a bomb or missile warhead ("severe pitting, cratering, petalling, or hot-gas washing"). [1]:289 This might well be the signature of an arc on cockpit wiring adjacent to the FQIS wiring. [1]:258259 Testing conducted by the FAA's Technical Center indicated that residues of the type of explosives found on the wreckage would dissipate completely after two days of immersion in sea water (almost all recovered wreckage was immersed longer than two days). He says fatal incidents tend to occur when an airplane is unintentionally flown into violent weather, usually a thunderstorm or, very rarely, some form of severe clear air turbulence (CAT). During this time, quenching was identified as an issue, where the explosion would extinguish itself as it passed through the complex structure of the CWT. Web posted at: 10:00 p.m. EST. It was one of the two or three most complex accidents I was involved with during my 17 years doing that kind of workin fact, it may have been the most complicated, he says. He said some of them are afraid that debris or body parts will wash up. TWA800 was behind the target, and with the likely forward-looking perspective of the target's occupant(s), the occupants would not have been in a position to observe the aircraft's breakup or subsequent explosions or fireball(s). Officials called off the search as Coast Guard crews were attempting to retrieve what they believed was a significant piece of wreckage, based on sonar detection and a bubbling pool of jet fuel at the ocean's surface. TWA Flight 800 crashed eight miles off the coast of Long Island at dusk on a clear summer night. [1]:3 Intense public interest arose in these witness reports, as did much speculation that the reported streak of light was a missile that had struck TWA 800, causing the airplane to explode. Two Coast Guard crew members who spent two days and nights pulling bodies from the ocean were so traumatized by what they had seen and touched that they were in serious emotional distress, according to local watermen who know them. [34]:1[35]:34 This hotel became known as the "Heartbreak Hotel" for its role in handling families of victims of several airliner crashes. So losing Flight 800 to an in-flight explosion of another kind was a very rare event indeed.. However, because of the previous maintenance undertaken on engine #3, the flight crew only started engines #1, #2, and #4. [1]:118 According to the seat manufacturer, the locations and appearance of this substance were consistent with adhesive used in the construction of the seats, and additional laboratory testing by NASA identified the substance as being consistent with adhesives. [1]:7174, Pieces of wreckage were transported by boat to shore and then by truck to leased hangar space at the former Grumman Aircraft facility in Calverton, New York, for storage, examination, and reconstruction. [19], On board TWA 800 were 230 people, including 18 crew and 20 off-duty employees,[20] most of whom were crew meant to cover the Paris-Rome leg of the flight. Instead, he said, there are blunt force trauma injuries, consistent with being struck by pieces of the jet as it fell from the sky after an explosion elsewhere in the plane. Dale Russakoff is the author of "The Prize," published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. [1]:94, Radar data showing vehicle and/or object tracks within 10 nautical miles (19km; 12mi) of TWA flight 800 just before the accident[1]:fig. [1]:257 The NTSB concluded that "the in-flight breakup of TWA flight 800 was not initiated by a pre-existing condition resulting in a structural failure and decompression. First autopsy report released from TWA 800 crash - January 3, 1997. [1]:258, The NTSB considered the possibility that the explosive residue was due to contamination from the aircraft's use in 1991 transporting troops during the Gulf War or its use in a dog-training explosive detection exercise about one month before the accident. [1]:273 Testing by the NTSB and the British Defence Evaluation and Research Agency demonstrated that when metal of the same type and thickness of the CWT was penetrated by a small charge, petalling of the surface occurred where the charge was placed, with pitting on the adjacent surfaces, and visible hot-gas washing damage in the surrounding area. However, I think the most compelling reason to say it was not shot down is that no one has ever claimed responsibility for any act against the plane. Flight 800 lawsuit puts focus on fuel pump - Dec . Speculation fueled theories that a terrorist act had caused the crash that killed the 230 on board, but an investigation later concluded it was a tragic mechanical error. According to Oakley, the 25 years following the tragic Flight 800 crash have included the safest years in U.S. commercial aviation history. [1]:87 Instead, the NTSB conducted a series of computer simulations to examine the flightpath of the main portion of the fuselage. A List of the Passengers and Crew Aboard Ill-Fated TWA Flight 800 L.A. Times Archives July 20, 1996 12 AM PT Here is a complete list of the 230 people, including four cockpit crew members and. Only 15 of the 230 bodies have not been recovered. Flight 800 Autopsy Reports Are Given to Victims' Families, https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/04/nyregion/flight-800-autopsy-reports-are-given-to-victims-families.html. [40]:2[41]:7[39]:12, Much anger and political pressure was also directed at Suffolk County Medical Examiner Dr. Charles V. Wetli, as recovered bodies backlogged at the morgue. "As physicians, part of our training is being able to separate -- to empathize without sympathizing," said Wetli, who was deputy medical examiner in Dade County, Fla., during Hurricane Andrew. The NTSB and the FBI have designated liaisons to ensure that information flows between agencies, and to coordinate on-scene operations. [1]:89 Attention was drawn to data from the Islip, New York, ARTCC facility that showed three tracks in the vicinity of TWA 800 that did not appear in any of the other radar data. TWA Flight 800 On July 17, 1996, TWA Flight 800 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off of Long Island, New York. He acknowledged that families of the victims are extremely impatient for their loved ones to be identified; 16 have been tentatively identified and the dentist colleague has been positively identified along with his wife traveling with him on Flight 800. But one customer said the motives are far more complicated. "[1]:270. ''They are very cold, chilling documents,'' he said. [29] In the case of TWA 800, the FBI initiated a parallel criminal investigation alongside the NTSB's accident investigation. Flight 800, "Documents Pertaining to Witnesses 300-399", "Witness Group Chairman's Factual Report", "Flight Data Recorder Group Chairman's Factual Report", "Source: Traces of 2nd explosive found in TWA debris", "Metallurgy/Structures Group Chairman Factual Report Sequencing Study", "Solving the Mystery of the "Missile Sightings", "Witnesses 4 - Group Chairman Factual Report - Appendix Z - Interview transcript Capt. When the rare fatal air accident occurs it usually involves a causality chain, including a number of seemingly unconnected small anomalies that, together, create a sort of perfect storm which causes a crash, he says. Of the accidents that have occurred, spontaneous explosions in mid-air have always been responsible for a very small percentage of the total.. The NTSB was never able to pin-point the precise cause, but it was clear that it was from within the tank.. [1]:263, Only the FAA radar facility in North Truro, Massachusetts, using specialized processing software from the United States Air Force 84th Radar Evaluation Squadron, was capable of estimating the altitude of TWA 800 after it lost power due to the CWT explosion. [1]:273 Based on these simulations, the NTSB concluded that it was "very unlikely" that a warhead could have detonated in such a location where a fragment could penetrate the CWT without other missile fragments impacting the surrounding airplane structure, leaving distinctive impact marks. [1]:xvi Problems with the aircraft's wiring were found, including evidence of arcing in the fuel quantity indication system (FQIS) wiring that enters the tank. [30][31]:1 The search and recovery effort identified three main areas of wreckage underwater;[1]:65 the yellow zone, red zone, and green zone contained wreckage from front, center, and rear sections of the airplane, respectively. July 22, 1996 12 AM PT. [15]:4[16][17] The last recorded radar transponder return from the airplane was recorded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) radar site at Trevose, Pennsylvania, at 8:31:12pm. Trans World Airlines Flight 800 ( TWA800) was a Boeing 747-100 that exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, on July 17, 1996, at about 8:31 pm. David McClaine", "National Transportation Safety Board Safety Recommendation", "Six months later, still no answer to the TWA Flight 800 mystery", "Statement on Petition for Reconsideration of TWA 800 Investigation", "NTSB Refuses to Reopen TWA Flight 800 Crash Probe", "NTSB Denies Petition on 1996 Crash of TWA Flight 800", Many Hits, Some Misses: The Post-Crash Web Rush, "TWA Flight 800 wreckage in Ashburn to be decommissioned", "Rule Readied to Prevent Airliner Explosions", "Pan Am Flight 214 CAB report (PDF) (Historical Aircraft Accident, 1963, Pan Am)", "Report and Recommendations Regarding TWA Flight 800 Crash", "Improvements Resulting From NTSB's Recommendations", "Coping with sudden loss after airplane crashes", "NTSB'S Reconstruction of the TWA Flight 800 Fuselage to be Decommissioned", "Wreckage from TWA Flight 800 to be destroyed 25 years after crash", "After 25 years, NTSB to dismantle TWA 800 reconstruction", "NTSB's TWA Flight 800 Reconstruction to be Decommissioned", Boeing Statement Following the First Day of the NTSB's Flight 800 Sunshine Meeting, Learning from a Tragedy: Explosions and Flight 800, "Skeptoid #99: Reassembling TWA Flight 800", TAM Transportes Areos Regionais Flight 402, 1931 Transcontinental & Western Air Fokker F-10 crash, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=TWA_Flight_800&oldid=1134154510, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2020, Articles needing more detailed references, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2020, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2005, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the National Transportation Safety Board, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, a light from the burning missile motor ascending very rapidly and steeply for about 8 seconds, the light disappearing for up to 7 seconds, upon the missile striking the aircraft and igniting the CWT, another light, moving considerably more slowly and more laterally than the first, for about 30 seconds, this light descending while simultaneously developing into a fireball falling toward the ocean. [1]:259, Although it was unable to determine the exact source of the trace amounts of explosive residue found on the wreckage, the lack of any other corroborating evidence associated with a high-energy explosion led the NTSB to conclude, "the in-flight breakup of TWA flight 800 was not initiated by a bomb or missile strike. SMITHTOWN, N.Y. Autopsies reveal that most passengers aboard the ill-fated TWA Flight 800 died almost immediately in the air, sparing them the long plunge into the ocean after the plane broke. The date on the photograph shows as May 20, 1997. So the appearance of a missile was basically an optical illusion.. News. Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), side-scan sonar, and laser line-scanning equipment were used to search for and investigate underwater debris fields. [32]:3 Ultimately, remains of all 230 victims were recovered and identified, the last over 10 months after the crash. New York's Pataki asks feds to help pay for TWA recovery - December 27, 1996. As a result of the investigation, new requirements were developed for aircraft to prevent future fuel tank explosions. The new statutory language and the MOU have improved coordination between the NTSB and FBI since the TWA flight 800 accident. The NTSB's conclusions about the cause of the TWA 800 disaster took four years and one month to be published. and "How long did the missile fly?" CAPTION: On a dock in Brooklyn, a section of the 747 jumbo jet that crashed Wednesday night is hauled away as part of the investigation into the cause. Medical investigators were holding up remarkably well as they went about their gruesome work -- opening body bags, removing corpses, examining them in painstaking detail -- when a forensic dentist looked up from one of the bodies and told his colleagues: "I know this person.". The suspension prolonged an already arduous search. 22c, p. 68, Recovery locations of the wreckage from the ocean (the red, yellow, and green zones) clearly indicated: (1) the red area pieces (from the forward portion of the wing center section and a ring of fuselage directly in front) were the earliest pieces to separate from the airplane; (2) the forward fuselage section departed simultaneously with or shortly after the red area pieces, landing relatively intact in the yellow zone; (3) the green area pieces (wings and the aft portion of the fuselage) remained intact for a period after the separation of the forward fuselage, and impacted the water in the green zone. And FBI since the TWA 800, the FBI have designated liaisons to ensure that information flows between agencies and. Witness summaries were drawings or diagrams of what the witness observed the board 's report... 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