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. "There are 200 human beings who are now nonexistent, and those are people someone loved, and it could have been someone we loved. On July 24, 2012, this FOIA release was re-uploaded to address technical issues. [1]:363365 NTSB and FBI personnel were present to observe all transfers to preserve the evidentiary value of the wreckage. [41]:1 The FBI, from the start assuming that a criminal act had occurred,[41]:3 saw the NTSB as indecisive. 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. The flight crew started the engines at 8:04 pm. [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). [specify] The agencies lacked a detailed protocol describing which agency should take the lead when whether an event was an accident or a criminal act was initially unclear. "[1]:63, Map showing the locations of the red, yellow, and green zones[1]:fig. [1]:273, Similarly, the investigation considered the possibility that a small explosive charge placed on the CWT could have been the ignition source. "The NTSB was never able to pin-point the precise cause, but it was clear. ''They are very cold, chilling documents,'' he said. [32]:3 Ultimately, remains of all 230 victims were recovered and identified, the last over 10 months after the crash. [1]:258 This included the pieces on which trace amounts of explosives were found. [1]:256, Investigators considered several possible causes for the structural breakup - structural failure and decompression, detonation of a high-energy explosive device, such as a missile warhead exploding either upon impact with the airplane, or just before impact, a bomb exploding inside the airplane, or a fuel-air explosion in the center wing fuel tank. [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. The tortuous search for bodies and plane remnants was delayed as rain, wind and fog rendered the Atlantic impassable for search crews. He said it was likely that death for the passengers was instantaneous. [1]:45[note 1][12][13][note 2], The ground-maintenance crew locked out the thrust reverser for engine #3 (treated as a minimum equipment list item) because of technical problems with the thrust reverser sensors during the landing of TWA 881 at JFK, prior to Flight 800's departure. [1]:293294 This was not considered proof of a source of ignition. [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. [1]:137, To better determine whether a fuel-air vapor explosion in the CWT would generate sufficient pressure to break apart the fuel tank and lead to the destruction of the airplane, tests were conducted in July and August 1997, using a retired Air France 747 at Bruntingthorpe Airfield, England. [42], Although considerable discrepancies existed between different accounts, most witnesses to the accident had seen a "streak of light" that was described by 38 of 258 witnesses as ascending,[1]:232 moving to a point where a large fireball appeared, with several witnesses reporting that the fireball split in two as it descended toward the water. ATC recording (courtesy Allec Joshua Ibay), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, surge tank fire that destroyed a 747 near Madrid in 1976, AirCraft Casualty Emotional Support Services, "In-flight Breakup Over the Atlantic Ocean Trans World Airlines Flight 800 Boeing 747-131, N93119 Near East Moriches, New York July 17, 1996", "Investigators Focus Closely on Terrorism As Cause of Explosion: Chemicals Found on Jet Victims, U.S. Reports", "Terror on Flight 800: Who wishes us ill? See the article in its original context from. [1]:363365 An HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter of the New York Air National Guard saw the explosion from about 8 miles away; it arrived at the scene of the explosion while debris was still in the process of falling into the water, forcing the crew to pull away. It was one of many moments since the crash of TWA Flight 800 when personal feelings intruded on the practiced professionalism of disaster workers. [65], During the investigation, the NTSB and the FBI clashed with each other. [73][74] Destruction of the wreckage was scheduled for completion before the end of 2021.[72]. [1]:264, The NTSB concluded, "the witness observations of a streak of light were not related to a missile and that the streak of light reported by most of these witnesses was burning fuel from the accident airplane in crippled flight during some portion of the postexplosion, preimpact breakup sequence". 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). [5] Sixteen months later, the JTTF announced that no evidence of a criminal act had been found and closed its active investigation. Dale Russakoff is the author of "The Prize," published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The report on passenger Susan Hill, a homicide. "[1]:270. 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. 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. Evidence of arcing was found in a wire bundle that included FQIS wiring connecting to the center wing tank. The coroner who oversaw the autopsies on most of the victims of T.W.A. [1]:93 None of these sequences intersected TWA 800's position at any time, either. 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. 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. and "How long did the missile fly?" Any parts of the plane that cannot be recycled will be disposed of in landfills. [1]:93 In addition, the records indicated that the closest area scheduled for military use, warning area W-387A/B, was 160 nautical miles (296km; 184mi) south. [1]:256, At the start of FBI's investigation, because of the possibility that international terrorists might have been involved, assistance was requested from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). [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. After the 1996 crash of TWA flight 800 off Long Island,. [51]:5 In all cases, the witnesses could not be describing a missile approaching an intact aircraft, as the plane had already exploded before their observations began. It's no more emotionally stressful than a doctor who deals every day with childhood leukemia. Behind drawn shades in the autopsy rooms of the Suffolk . [1]:243247 Advocates of a missile-attack scenario asserted that some of these witnesses observed a missile;[1]:264 analysis demonstrated that the observations were not consistent with a missile attack on TWA800, but instead were consistent with these witnesses having observed part of the in-flight fire and breakup sequence after the CWT explosion. First autopsy report released from TWA 800 crash - January 3, 1997. The aircraft had completed 16,869 flights with 93,303 hours of operation and was powered by four Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7AH turbofan engines. He said some of them are afraid that debris or body parts will wash up. [40]:2 Although NTSB Vice Chairman Robert Francis stated that all bodies were being retrieved as soon as they were spotted, and that wreckage was being recovered only if divers believed that victims were hidden underneath,[40]:2 many families were suspicious that investigators were not being truthful, or withholding information. [57] In a press release, the NTSB stated: "After a thorough review of all the information provided by the petitioners, the NTSB denied the petition in its entirety because the evidence and analysis presented did not show the original findings were incorrect. These records range from 1996 to 1998 and concern FBI forensic analysis associated with the Bureaus crash investigation. The FBI interviewed at least 755 witnesses. The MOU states that: [t]his procedure is intendedto ensure that neither NTSB nor FBI investigative activity unnecessarily complicates or compromises the other agencys investigation. EAST MORICHES, N.Y. (AP) _ The coroner said today he doubts that TWA Flight 800 passengers experienced the horror of a free fall and thinks most suffered an almost instantaneous death. [30], Search and recovery operations were conducted by federal, state, and local agencies, as well as government contractors. Engine #3 was started 10 minutes later at 8:14 pm. First autopsy report released from TWA 800 crash - January 3, 1997. Seventeen of the 18 crew members[20] and 152 of the passengers were Americans; the remaining crew member was Italian, while the remaining passengers were of various other nationalities. With todays very sophisticated weather radar and stringent rules for avoiding potentially dangerous weather this virtually never occurs, Oakley says. Purvis says while four years is a long time for an investigation, its not outside the accepted bounds. ``I don't think anybody was conscious as they fell from 13,000 feet to the water. 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. TWA 800 then received a series of heading changes and generally increasing altitude assignments as it climbed to its intended cruising altitude. "[1]:2 A loud noise recorded on the last few tenths of a second of the CVR was similar to the last noises recorded from other airplanes that had experienced in-flight breakups. Some family members wanted to learn whether their relatives had suffered; others sought factual information that might be useful in litigation against Trans World Airlines and the Boeing Company, which made the 747 that exploded minutes after taking off from Kennedy International Airport on July 17, killing all 230 on board. [1]:2 Weather in the area was light winds with scattered clouds,[1]:256 with dusk lighting conditions. The NTSB investigation ended with the adoption of the board's final report on August 23, 2000. All 230 passengers and crew were killed. [14] During refueling of the aircraft, the volumetric shutoff (VSO) control was believed to have been triggered before the tanks were full. ''I would not want to read the autopsy of my loved one,'' Dr. Wetli said in an interview. The TWA press release gives 25. ", Later in the day, a second dentist emerged from the medical examiner's office and talked with composure about having helped identify his colleague. 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 NTSB was never able to pin-point the precise cause, but it was clear that it was from within the tank.. Investigators believe the explosion began in the center fuel tank, but they say. The coroner who oversaw the autopsies on most of the victims of T.W.A. New York's Pataki asks feds to help pay for TWA recovery - December 27, 1996. In this case, the victim was a Long Island. However, after just 12 minutes, chaos ensued in the sky as an explosion occurred. [51]:6, As the investigation progressed, the NTSB decided to form a witness group to more fully address the accounts of witnesses. 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. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Transportation Safety Board. On July 7, 2021, 25 years following the crash, the NTSB will decommission the wreckage, which will be destroyed by the end of 2022. ")[1]:230 The NTSB witness group concluded that the streak of light reported by witnesses might have been the actual airplane during some stage of its flight before the fireball developed, noting that most of the 258 streak-of-light accounts were generally consistent with the calculated flightpath of the accident airplane after the CWT explosion. [1]:290 Finally, the CWT fuel quantity gauge was recovered and indicated 640pounds instead of the 300pounds that had been loaded into that tank. No nothing. "[18] Subsequently, many air traffic control facilities in the New York/Long Island area received reports of an explosion from other pilots operating in the area. [47][48] In addition, the backs of several damaged passenger seats were observed to have an unknown red/brown-shaded substance on them. "[1]:257, A review of recorded data from long-range and airport surveillance radars revealed multiple contacts of airplanes or objects in TWA800's vicinity at the time of the accident. At Dr. Wetli's request, State Attorney General Dennis C. Vacco issued an opinion on Tuesday saying the families were legally entitled to the documents. January 3, 1997. "[55] Speculation was fueled in part by early descriptions, visuals, and eyewitness accounts of the disaster that indicated a sudden explosion and trails of fire moving in an upward direction. [51]:2 CIA analysts, relying on sound-propagation analysis, concluded that the witnesses could not be describing a missile approaching an intact aircraft, but were seeing a trail of burning fuel coming from the aircraft after the initial explosion. 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 aircraft was refueled, and a crew change was made; the new flight crew consisted of 58-year-old Captain Ralph G. Kevorkian (who had flown for TWA for 31 years and the U.S. Air Force for 9 years), 57-year-old Captain/Check Airman Steven E. Snyder (who had flown for TWA for 32 years), and 63-year-old Flight Engineer/Check Airman Richard G. Campbell Jr. (who had flown for TWA for 30 years and the U.S. Air Force for 12 years), as well as 25-year-old flight engineer trainee Oliver Krick (who previously served as a business pilot for 4 years), who had flown for TWA for 26 days and was starting the sixth leg of his initial operating experience training. could have biased interviewees' responses in some cases. [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. The close-up view of N93119's front fuselage, showing the seven plugged windows on the upper deck. [56] In 2014, the NTSB declined the petition to reopen the investigation. What many thought was a missile was actually the death throes of an airplane that briefly went up before it, sadly and inevitably, went down, Oakley says. Medical Examiner Wetli said only half of the 100 bodies retrieved from the ocean so far had been processed, meaning photographed, fingerprinted, weighed, X-rayed, and autopsied. So far, only a couple of families have received the reports, and Dr. Wetli declined to give specifics. [64], The crash of TWA Flight 800, and that of ValuJet Flight 592 earlier in 1996, prompted Congress to pass the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996 as part of the federal aviation appropriations bill. 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