TWA Flight 800
Trans World Airlines Flight 800 (TWA 800) was a scheduled flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport on July 17, 1996.[1] The aircraft was a Boeing 747-100.[2] The plane exploded just 12 minutes after takeoff.[3] It crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York.[1] The cause was determined to be a spark that ignited the center wing fuel tank.[1] None of the 230 people onboard survived.[3] It remains the third-deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.[4]
 The reconstructed wreckage of TWA 800, stored at Calverton Executive Airpark by the NTSB | |
| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | July 17, 1996 |
| Summary | In-flight breakup due to fuel tank explosion caused by short circuit |
| Place | New York Bight near East Moriches, New York 40°39′N 72°38′W / 40.650°N 72.633°WCoordinates: 40°39′N 72°38′W / 40.650°N 72.633°W |
| Passengers | 212 |
| Crew | 18 |
| Fatalities | 230 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 747-131 |
| Airline/user | Trans World Airlines |
| Registration | N93119 |
| Flew from | John F. Kennedy Int'l Airport New York City |
| Stopover | Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris |
| Flying to | Leonardo da Vinci Airport Rome |
Passengers and Crew
| Nationality | Passengers | Crew | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
 United States |
125 | 17 | 142 |
 France |
42 | 0 | 42 |
 Argentina |
10 | 0 | 10 |
 Algeria |
9 | 0 | 9 |
 Italy |
8 | 1 | 9 |
 United Kingdom |
7 | 0 | 7 |
 Mexico |
7 | 0 | 7 |
 Denmark |
6 | 0 | 6 |
 Belgium |
4 | 0 | 4 |
 Ireland |
4 | 0 | 4 |
 Netherlands |
3 | 0 | 3 |
 Germany |
2 | 0 | 2 |
 Norway |
2 | 0 | 2 |
 Australia |
2 | 0 | 2 |
 Canada |
1 | 0 | 1 |
 |
1 | 0 | 1 |
 Japan |
1 | 0 | 1 |
 Spain |
1 | 0 | 1 |
 Sweden |
1 | 0 | 1 |
 Ivory Coast |
1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 212 | 18 | 230 |
Most of the 230 occupants on-board were from the United States, but 42 more came from France, 10 from Argentina, and 60 more from sixteen other countries.
The pilots on board TWA Flight 800 were Captain Ralph G. Kevorkian, Co-pilot Steven E. Snyder and Flight Engineer Richard G. Campbell. All had more than 30 years employment with Trans World Airlines. There was also a Flight Engineer Trainee on board Oliver Krick, who was starting the sixth leg of his initial operating experience training.
TWA Flight 800 Media
Wreckage recovered with tangled and damaged wires attached(fig.24, p.80)
An FBI witness statement summary (with personal information redacted):41
The wing center section of a Boeing 747-100, including the CWT(fig. 4a, p. 13)
Scale-model test of a CWT fuel/air vapor explosion
Slide from NTSB presentation of TWA 800 breakup sequence, illustrating structure and size of CWT
Frame from the CIA's animated depiction of how TWA Flight 800 broke apart: When the bottom of the aircraft blew out from the exploding fuel tank, cracks spread around the fuselage and severed the entire front section of the plane.
Most witness observations of a streak of light were determined by the NTSB to be consistent with the calculated flightpath of TWA 800 after the CWT explosion (screenshot from an NTSB animation).
A frame from the NTSB's animation depicting how the noseless plane climbed erratically before descending into the ocean
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Board Meeting : TWA flight 800, Atlantic Ocean Near East Moriches, New York, July 17, 1996". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
- ↑ James Sanders, The Downing of TWA Flight 800 (New York: EPinnacle, 2013), p. 15
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chuck Hadad (July 15, 2014). 5 things you didn't know about the crash of TWA Flight 800. CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/14/us/twa-flight-800-five-things/. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
- ↑ Ana Borruto (July 17, 2016). "TWA Flight 800 Remembered on 20th Anniversary". Long Island Press. Morey Publishing, LLC. Retrieved December 8, 2016.