Investigators say the plane broke. It was a watershed moment for me, as I have never looked at another news story the same way since. Henry Hughes, a senior accident investigator with the NTSB,was among the group that in 2013 unsuccessfully petitioned the NTSB to re-investigate the crash. The documentary is available for streaming on Netflix. longer considered potential criminal evidence. aerodynamics experts and information about where pieces of That added some time to the investigation.. Sunday on CD-ROM. 2017 Apr 20;25(1):42. doi: 10.1186/s13049-017-0384-y. Victim fragmentation patterns and seat location supplements crash data: American Airlines flight 587. An official website of the United States government. Initially, I was sure the NTSB investigators interviewed these pilots and came to the same conclusion. quest to solve the mysterious crash of TWA Flight 800 was Yet witnesses on Long Island had heard a thunderclap, suggesting a high explosive detonation. NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Saturday marked 25 years since the crash of TWA Flight 800. 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. Other potential causes introduced in late 1990persist along with the friendly-fire claim more than two decades later. Although the cause could not be established, it said, it was most likely the result of a short circuit in the electrical wiring outside the tank. an instant loss of consciousness.". Conspiracy theorists do not know who shot the plane but suspect an accidental strike from the U.S Navy. One, the closest to the 747s flight path, was cruising at 30 knots very fast for a large vessel. Russell's messagewasmeant for an inner circle of aviation experts but wasleaked online. America's first mass shooting:70 years ago, an NJ WWII veteran killed 13 of his neighbors. With only 50 gallons inside the nearly 13,000 gallon tank, the NTSB knew there were fewer fuel molecules in the air than would be ideal for ignition. the center fuel tank may have exploded and brought down the The way the theoriesgerminate nonetheless remainsrelatively standard. 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. None of those ships came to the rescue when the plane crashed. 0:00. Russellfollowed up his claimwith a radar tapehe said amounted to proof of a rocket strike. I reported on the crash and investigation for the Fairfield County Weekly and then for the Village Voice. They also essentially pieced 95% of the plane back together over a 30-month span. One such missile, it is contended, struck TWA Flight 800, causing it to break apart and crash into the Atlantic Ocean, killing everyone aboard. NTSB's determination of a center fuel tank explosion caused by faulty electrical wiring sparking fuel vapor ignition is supported by thousands of hours of engineering analysis, and similar type accidents on other aircraft. All rights reserved. Defense contractors and the U.S. Department of Defense are among defendants being named in a lawsuit filed by plaintiffs in connection with the TWA Flight 800 crash 26 years ago. Now anyone with an idea, no matter how bizarre, has a way of potentially getting it in front of fairly large audiences,he said. In this case, Russellsaid a longtime friend said he had radar footage that showed a missile traveling toward the plane just before the crash. Careers. This site needs JavaScript to work properly. Ten days after the crash, a bombing rocked the Atlanta Olympics. Following a four-year, $40 million investigation the longest in the history of the National Transportation Safety Board board officials concluded an electrical failure ignited fuel vaporsin a nearly emptytank in the belly of the jet. "That's where they're finding stuff. Still, doubt lingered. Conspiracy theories regularly emerge fromidle speculation in the face of more probable explanations, Goertzelsaid. External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive. re: TWA 800 What do you think actually happened? Ultimately, NTSB officials proved that an electrical short could have sparked flammable vapor trapped in a nearly empty fuel tank and concluded that was the likely cause of Flight 800's demise.. plane. Copyright Williamsport Sun-Gazette | https://www.sungazette.com | 252 W. Fourth Street, Williamsport, PA 17703 | 570-326-1551, Only recently, thanks to the work of physicist, Dr. Thomas Stalcup, through his Freedom of Information Act litigation in Massachusetts federal court, has evidence emerged proving that the TWA 800 explosion was not caused by any defect in the airplane, but instead by an errant United States missile fired at aerial target drones flying nearby., engaged in a top-down cover-up to prevent the public from learning the truth about TWA 800.. They also essentially pieced 95% of the plane back together over a 30-month span. In an effort to test the mechanical failure scenario, NTSB investigators will examine the area around the tank, where fumes could have ignited and exploded during flight, according to officials. Correspondent Gary Tuchman contributed to this report. gathered by the National Transportation Safety Board in its Governmentsare commontargets for conspiracy theories, according to Goertzel. Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies There are a lot of things the Navy divers could reveal that would tell what really happened to TWA Flight 800. The animated simulations are based on the best guesses of the Ultimately,NTSB officials determinedthe alleged evidencewas a ghost signal produced by another jet airplane. TWA Flight 800 conspiracy theories are discredited alternative explanations of the crash of Trans World Airlines Flight 800 (TWA 800) in 1996. By the fall of 1996, in looking at all of the physical evidence and not seeing any evidence of any bomb or missile damage, it became unreasonable to continue to push that theory, Marx said during a May 1999 congressional hearing. On July 17,1996, a Boeing 747 exploded in midair off the coast of Long Island. The reconstructed wreckage was scheduled for demolition in the summer of 2021. "We want to know the ignition source on TWA However, thedivergent group blamed friendly fire. Then the NTSBs Final Report stated there was No evidence of any engine uncontainment. In the early days and weeks after the accident, the FBI was in charge because there was concern about it being a crime. The findings will be detailed through a series of questions Petitioners from a high-profile group called The TWA 800 Project claimed a detonation or high-velocity explosion caused the crash. The purpose of the present study, which represents the first analysis of aviation injuries incurred during a midflight incident, was to examine the injuries sustained by the victims of the TWA Flight 800 disaster and to determine any correlation of injuries with structural damage and seat location. Before That has eroded what was once a firm boundary between the fringe and the mainstream., Accidents that changed aviation: Controlling in-flight fires and more. Meanwhile, the NTSB'sassessment overlooked evidence of a missile strike, such as radar data, witness statements and holes in the fuselage, according to Hughes. Twenty-five years later some conspiracies still linger. They also have an aversion to the idea that the world is random even if thatmeans there is some evil force creating the order, he added. No, the nose section fell off causing the rest of plane to climb causing the appearance of a climbing missile. By Marc Peyser On 7/28/96 at 8:00 PM EDT. Twenty-five years later, the questions and conspiracies live on. The fuselage of the Boeing 747, painstakingly. They also have an aversion to the idea that the world is random even if thatmeans there is some evil force creating the order, he added. "Someone else says, 'I heard X,'and it spreads.". Even when government officialsrespond with emphatic denials,distrust is common. God bless Ms. Borjesson for practicing that which others have betrayed. 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. Baggage and other items normally stored in the front section of the plane have been discovered in a debris field closest to John F. Kennedy International Airport, from where the Paris-bound jet departed, further buttressing investigators' belief that the explosion was in that part of the plane. Following the NTSB's ruling, the plane was used in training plane crash investigators and families of the victims were allowed to visit it, although it was never opened to the public. Combined with concurrent reporting about real government experiments and other real conspiracies, atone had been set, he added. J Trauma. Many remain open. The Federal Bureau of Investigation considered potential terrorist links and began a criminal investigation. . illustrate what the investigators believe happened to the Please sign and share! At the time, fears of domestic terrorism were high. Twenty-five years later, the questions and conspiracies live on. Although initial reports suggested a terrorist attack, FBI and NTSB investigators blamed a fuel tank explosion. All Rights Reserved. In 2000, following what the NTSB described as the most extensive and complex probe in its history, the safety board determined that TWA Flight 800 was brought down by an explosion of the center wing fuel tank. [I]t corrected itself on an angle and went higher and I said, My God, what kind of fireworks is this?, he said. future.". Governmentsare commontargets for conspiracy theories, Goertzel said. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. It was really the first conspiracy of the internet age, Miller said. The data, released on the eve of public hearings on the Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for CIA Report-What Really Happened to TWA Flight 800 at Amazon.com. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), J. Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images, https://www.history.com/news/twa-flight-800-crash-investigation. If you look at the history of my career, you can see just how vulnerable I am. Stalcup is a bit less cautious. 1996 crash off of New York's Long Island: The NTSB concluded that 15 people may not have died instantly NTSB officials said any internal speculation into bomb and missile theories dried up within months. The personal investment involved in accepting or progressing conspiracy theories can make them tough to dismiss,Barkun said. CBS, much to my chagrin and dismay, returned it immediately, she says, and I was given my walking papers a few weeks after that.That told me that the story was controversial, that there were limits to the freedom of the press. I wrote to the FAA and NTSB, sure that people with more experience and qualifications would know the cause was a classic uncontained engine failure. -- were killed instantly, the NTSB says. official website and that any information you provide is encrypted Investigators were unable to ignite the mixture unless they used a current far stronger than anything in the 747s systems, and even then, ignition was very brief, only a fraction of a second, and feeble. The Search for the Truth "Jack Cashill has worked tirelessly for almost twenty years to bring the truth of what really happened to TWA Flight 800 to the public, and most of all, to the families who lost . Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading TWA Flight 800 July 17, 1996 What Really Happened: What Really Happened. The airplanes oddly stained upholstery brought to light by TWAs chief 747 pilot Robert Terrell Stacey also proved to have a less-than-intriguing origin. 47 of the 230 people on board the 747 may not have been The day after the crash, the possibility that an explosive device was fired toward the plane or placed inside before takeofftook hold. As recently as July 2014, NTSB officials had to publicly respond to requests to reconsider its findings in the investigation of the 1996 crash. 2023 www.northjersey.com. She won Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Awards in 1995 for investigative reporting for the documentary Legacy of Shame, about migrant farmworkers in the United States, and she was nominated for an Emmy for the Castro documentary, The Last Revolutionary. The personal investment involved in accepting or progressing conspiracy theories can make them tough to dismiss, said Barkun, of Syracuse. NTSB officials had to publicly respond to requests to reconsider its findings in the investigation, WCBS interviews Mike Kelly about the 25th anniversary of TWA Flight 800, A final, up-close look at the wreckage of TWA Flight 800, 70 years ago, an NJ WWII veteran killed 13 of his neighbors, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. All 230 people aboard TWA 800 died when the plane, headed for Paris, exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.. Ted Goertzel, professor emeritus of sociology at Rutgers University in Camden, said the internethas beena game changer for conspiracy theory consumption and evolution. the plane landed in the Atlantic Ocean. He said the explosion remains a mystery because "we still don't have the parts of the plane that we need to look at. During the NTSB's four-year investigation, federal officialsobtained signed certifications from U.S. military chains of command running crash area assets, training exercises and armaments capable of reaching the aircraft. Many remain open. The salvage operation was carried out under tight security. Engine #3 was found much later, seen torn apart in recovery photographs and clearly an uncontained engine failure. Listen:WCBS interviews Mike Kelly about the 25th anniversary of TWA Flight 800. He can be reached at rj_davey@me.com. At the time, fears of domestic terrorism were high. Uncontained engine part entry holes riddled the right side of the 747, with one part embedded in the tail section. The material's Shortly after accepting the assignment, her car was broken into and documents and a computer stolen. Stalcup says he is trying to get more information from the US Department of Defenses Missile Defense Agency. The NTSB's material now can be made public because it is no The U.S Navy is always believed to be the . High-profile supporters can help build a case for a conspiracy theory, even if their reputation was built in another area of expertise, Miller said. Those who challenge government actions for the right reasons could be forever barred from political office unjustly by this law. The investigation of the crash of T.W.A. "I believe they were all totally unconscious or dead by the time they hit the water," Wetli told The Associated Press. According to Oakley, the 25 years following the tragic Flight 800 crash have included the safest years in U.S. commercial aviation history. John Purvis, head of the accident investigation unit for the Boeing Company at the time of the event, says airplane explosions are quite rare, in part due to security measures and equipment improvement. 25 years later, the wounds are 'still raw.'. James Hall said. "That center part of the aircraft is of interest," said Francis. TWA Flight 800 was en route from New York to Paris when it David Zimmer is a local reporter forNorthJersey.com. The official government investigation blamed mechanical failure, but now a group of former. Investigators were focusing. With the internet I followed Commander Donaldsons ARAP website up until he died of fast-acting brain cancer right before 9-11. It was the first to be picked up and widely circulated online.. This July 16, 2008, file photo shows the recovered wreckage of TWA Flight 800 standing reassembled at the National Transportation Safety Board Training Academy in Chantilly, Va., where it is used for training new investigators. The finding led to regulations requiring a system that pumps inert gas into fuel tanks as they empty. The airplanes oddly stained upholstery brought to light by TWAs chief 747 pilot Robert Terrell Stacey also proved to have a less than salacious origin. WHO can ever forget that July day, 10 years ago, when we all woke up to the news that Flight 800, a TWA 747 bound to Paris, had crashed within minutes . The bottom line, he says: No one has yet challenged anything factual in our documentary. The two maintain their own media fact-checking page on their website, www.flight800doc.com. As quickly as the wreckage plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, questions arose. The conspiracy theory then becomes a closed system, Barkun said. Background: Previous reports of commercial airline disasters have reviewed incidents occurring at takeoff and landing. . In the Voice I reported on a naval warship seen off Long Island earlier that afternoon that the Navy, FBI and National Transportation Safety Board all declined to comment on. There are so many papers "it would take a moving van" to get Although the source that led to the explosion was never discovered, the investigation concluded the crashs cause was not a terrorist attack, but an electrical failure that ignited a nearly empty center wing fuel tank in the 25-year-old aircraft. Always been so many questions about this accident. Joseph A. Kirby and Tribune Staff Writer. A private memorial service for the families of the victims of the 1996 TWA Flight 800 explosion is being held on Saturday, 25 years after the disaster that killed 230 people and just before the. In 1998, Borjesson was invited to produce a segment on TWA Flight 800 for the pilot program of a new television series called Declassified, to be hosted by Oliver Stone. Over the years, she has been invited to speak publicly about the crash, typically on the anniversary. Both camps agreed on a government coverup. Another, shot with a camera placed in a smaller-scale model 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. On the afternoon of July 17, 1996, broadcast journalist Kristina Borjesson left work early after wrapping up a documentary on Fidel Castro for CBS. In the cases of another 28 victims, the NTSB was Seven of the passengers were also Connecticut residents. The investigation concluded that the evidence clearly proved an internal explosive cause, and how that occurred. fire. The TWA 800 aircraft was a 747-100 model, built and delivered in 1971. Obviously a cover-up when they dont need the eyewitness accounts. Surname 2 hit the TWA 800. So the appearance of a missile was basically an optical illusion.. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, charges that the federal government released a false report contending that the explosion in the plane was the result of an electrical fire in its center fuel tank. Nearly all pieces of the 170-ton jet were recovered from the ocean floor and reconstructed as part of the ensuing investigation. exploded over Long Island Sound minutes after takeoff. He turned to Borjesson, whom hed met about a year after the crash. Donaldson was not going to quit. experiments conducted to test explosion theories that the Meanwhile, the NTSB'sassessment overlooked evidence of a missile strike, such as radar data, witness statements and holes in the fuselage, according to Hughes. Despite the safety boards official findings, over the last two decades, conspiracy theorists, bolstered by eyewitness accounts reporting a missile strike, continue to charge that a terrorist attack, bombing or even friendly fire took down Flight 800. So much information was generated by the hundreds of It was really the first conspiracy of the internet age, Miller said. Henry Hughes, an NTSB senior accident investigator who had been part of the governments Flight 800 investigation, had just retired. Unable to load your collection due to an error, Unable to load your delegates due to an error. This is called a lean mixture. But it is all that remains of Trans World Airlines' Flight 800, the Paris-bound jetliner that crashed shortly after takeoff from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport 25 years ago . By the fall of 1996, in looking at all of the physical evidence and not seeing any evidence of any bomb or missile damage, it became unreasonable to continue to push that theory, he said during a May 1999 congressional hearing. This is a carousel. Shes also published two books, Into the Buzzsaw: Leading Journalists Expose the Myth of a Free Press (Prometheus Books, 2002) and Feet to the Fire: The Media after 9/11 (Prometheus Books, 2005), and she lectures on investigative reporting and the press. Shane Miller, a professor at Saint Johns University in Minnesota who researched the conspiracy theories surrounding the crash, said the Flight 800 conspirators used the web in novel ways. Read selected portions of the NTSB report, TWA Flight 800: The Crash and Investigation, FBI concludes no criminal evidence in TWA 800 crash, FBI previews TWA Flight 800 evidence with families, Nose gear doors baffle TWA crash investigators, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). All 230 passengers of TWA Flight 800 were recovered as fatalities. In 2000, following what the NTSB described as the most extensive and complex probe in its history, the safety board de- termined that TWA Flight 800 was brought down by an explosion of the center wing fuel tank. As long as there is ambiguity surrounding the crash, conspiracy theories will remain, Barkun said. Dougherty was one of scores of eyewitnesses some of them along the Connecticut shoreline, 50 miles from the crash site who saw an upward-shooting streak. While the NTSB Final Report suggested defective wiring insulation inside the CWT to be the most likely origin of the fuel vapor ignition and explosion, no clear cause was ever determined by the NTSB. Below is a list of those on board, according to family, friends or officials . The National Transportation Safety Board said it will destroy the remaining wreckage of TWA Flight 800 after nearly 20 years as a training tool.
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