Twa 800

[LAZYB]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_800 <----Scroll to the (highlighted in blue) #8 in the text and make sure your speakers are on. This is the Pakistan Airlines 747 conversation between ATC and them that night that took action to avoid a missile it saw streak just ahead of it from left to right. This made news! But it lasted only for a day or two.

Good link.

I think that it's easily better than 50\50 that the 747 did not fall from the sky because of a fuel tank explosion, and was most likely shot down. :bomb:

 

[Singlecoil]

I think it just blew up.

What we do know is that 2 747's have blown up in mid-air (not counting the Lockerbie terrorist bombing). Both of those 747's were 747-131's, both were owned by TWA, both were then leased to the government of Iran. One blew up in 1976 while being operated by the Iranians. The other was subsequently returned to TWA and blew up 20 years later as flight 800.

In both cases, the flight crew were commenting on unusual instrument readings prior to the explosions. In the case of the Iranian plane, they were hit by lightning, started having generator problems, then apparently had a vibration in the power levers, problems with the autopilot, then flight controls, then it blew up. Look on page 8 here: http://amelia.db.erau.edu/reports/ntsb/aar/AAR78-12.pdf
Can one conclude that a large current was flowing through the airplane in the time before it exploded? Probably.

In the case of TWA 800, the captain stated on the CVR:
[SIZE=-1]2029: 15 [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]CAM-1[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]look at that crazy fuel flow indicator there on number four. [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]2029: 23 [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]CAM-1[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]see that. [/SIZE]
That was made less than 2 minutes prior to the end of recording. Was a large current flowing through TWA 800 where it shouldn't have been from a short or something? I think it probably was.

I think the reason that so many in the aviation community cling to the missile theory is largely psychological. It is hard for any of us to accept that the planes we fly every day could one day just blow up due to no fault of our own or anyone else. It is much easier for us to believe that someone caused this, therefore it is unlikely to happen to us.

 

[Flightjock30]

In the case of TWA 800, the captain stated on the CVR:
[SIZE=-1]2029: 15 [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]CAM-1[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]look at that crazy fuel flow indicator there on number four. [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]2029: 23 [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]CAM-1[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]see that. [/SIZE]
That was made less than 2 minutes prior to the end of recording. Was a large current flowing through TWA 800 where it shouldn't have been from a short or something? I think it probably was.

I think the reason that so many in the aviation community cling to the missile theory is largely psychological. It is hard for any of us to accept that the planes we fly every day could one day just blow up due to no fault of our own or anyone else. It is much easier for us to believe that someone caused this, therefore it is unlikely to happen to us.

UMM actually no! Is it a common occurrence on older airplanes with those types of analog instruments to have flickering indications from time to time. My buddy is a retired UAL 747-200 Captain...he stated it was not unusual for that to happen from time to time.

 

[FN FAL]

I think it just blew up.

...I think the reason that so many in the aviation community cling to the missile theory is largely psychological. It is hard for any of us to accept that the planes we fly every day could one day just blow up due to no fault of our own or anyone else. It is much easier for us to believe that someone caused this, therefore it is unlikely to happen to us.

Faulty design or faulty maintenance is still fault...I think you're confusing intent with negligence.

 

[Guitar rocker]

I actually saw a program on TV (either 60 min or dateline) not long ago that claimed that EMI (electromagnetic interference) was the culprit that brought down TWA 800. I think they were way off but whatever. I have also heard that there were a few people on that plane that had some damaging testimony that would hurt Slick Willy............. If such were the case, these folks didnt get a chance to testify much like Vince Foster didnt either. An interetsing point to ponder. If yah think it's far fetched, watch a video called, "The Clinton Chronicles."

 

[Lrjtcaptain]

Let me just put in another 2 cents, i don't fly em, and I don't design and I don't regulate them but if a spark from a wire could ignite jet a fumes which has a tremondously high flashpoint....why the F... would the FAA even allow them to fly? Of course we ignite in the engines duh....but why would they allow an electric wire to flow through a fuel tank if it would create a flying bomb?

 

[HMR]

This is what bugs me...

Regardless of what you believe, CNN was running a home video on the night of the crash. It was filmed by someone at a BBQ on the beach. The video showed a streak of light going up into the sky and an explosion. I remember exactly where I was sitting on the night of the crash (I was in the cafeteria at work eating a bowl of cheerios). My coworkers and I were sitting around saying, "WHOA!!! Was that a freaking missile?" The next day, CNN stops showing the video.

That always bugged me. Fast forward to a year or two ago and there was a talk radio show discussing TWA 800 and people were calling in talking about the CNN video. The guest on the program claimed CNN denied it ever showed it.

I have NO IDEA what happened to the 747 but I'm ticked about the disappearing video. I SAW IT!

Rant over, carry on.

 

[Lrjtcaptain]

I was sitting on a couch in Scottsdale that day, what yar was that, 94?95........crap, i best look it up, i was a sophmore in h.s. if remember correctly

 

[Flightjock30]

Regardless of what you believe, CNN was running a home video on the night of the crash. It was filmed by someone at a BBQ on the beach. The video showed a streak of light going up into the sky and an explosion. I remember exactly where I was sitting on the night of the crash (I was in the cafeteria at work eating a bowl of cheerios). My coworkers and I were sitting around saying, "WHOA!!! Was that a freaking missile?" The next day, CNN stops showing the video.

That always bugged me. Fast forward to a year or two ago and there was a talk radio show discussing TWA 800 and people were calling in talking about the CNN video. The guest on the program claimed CNN denied it ever showed it.

I have NO IDEA what happened to the 747 but I'm ticked about the disappearing video. I SAW IT!

Rant over, carry on.

I have an official still image of that video! It shows a drone missile minutes before the downing of TWA 800 and IN THE VICINITY of TWA 800. I am sure I can try to scan it to whoever wants to see it.

 

[Flightjock30]

another recording....pilot who witnesses TWA 800 explode claims to have seen a "white light" prior to the explosion and mistook it for a landing light

http://69.57.136.18/cvrfiles2/twawav1.wav