|
FBI concludes no criminal evidence in TWA 800 crash
Probe turns to mechanical failure
November 18, 1997
Web posted at: 7:54 p.m. EST (0054 GMT)NEW YORK (CNN) -- The FBI's conclusion that no criminal act caused the crash of TWA Flight 800 left open the question of exactly what kind of mechanical failure triggered the explosion that killed all 230 people aboard.
Determining the cause of the disaster is now up to the National Transportation Safety Board, which has scheduled public hearings about the crash for next month.
Investigators have not determined precisely what mechanical catastrophe caused the Paris-bound jet to blow up over the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from Kennedy International Airport on July 17, 1996. But they know the explosion was sparked in the plane's center fuel tank.
Although the NTSB has indicated that no probable cause will be declared until late 1998, the hearings -- scheduled to be held in Baltimore -- will address "in great detail" the question of what caused the fuel tank to explode, said James Hall, chairman of the NTSB. They also will probe the whole issue of aging aircraft, he said.
FBI news conference
Part 1: Kallstrom's overview of the investigation 29 min Vxtreme Video Part 2: Kallstrom discusses the criminal probe and the CIA video. 10 min Vxtreme Video Part 3: The CIA video 14 min Vxtreme Video Part 4: Kallstrom answers questions 33 min Vxtreme Video CIA animation of the explosion
Part 1: Separation of the forward cabin and steep climb 1.1M/35 sec. QuickTime movie Part 2: Peak of climb and sudden fireball 292K/14 sec. QuickTime movie Part 3: Separation of left wing, third explosion, and splashdown 820K/31 sec./160x120 QuickTime movie In announcing its withdrawal from the investigation Tuesday, the FBI showed a video simulation of the crash that was prepared by the CIA.
The FBI said 14-minute tape showed how all 244 witnesses to the crash saw the breakup of the Boeing 747 in the seconds after it exploded over the Atlantic Ocean, and not the explosion itself.
What some witnesses thought was a missile hitting the plane was actually burning, leaking fuel from the jet after its front part had already broken off, FBI officials said.
According to the FBI, witnesses saw the disintegrating plane well after its center fuel tank blew up. They heard the sound of the blast seconds later since sound travels more slowly than light, making them believe they were seeing the beginning of the crash when in fact they were watching its end, the agency said.
"Following 16 months of unprecedented investigation ... we must now report that no evidence has been found which would indicate that a criminal act was the cause," Assistant FBI Director James Kallstrom told a news conference.
One of the largest criminal investigations in U.S. history, the FBI probe cost $14 million to $20 million and involved the Federal Aviation Administration, State Department and numerous local and state law enforcement agencies, Kallstrom said.
Agents and scientists examined more than 96 percent of the plane, which was pulled from the ocean floor and reassembled in a hangar in Calverton, Long Island. They also conducted more than 7,000 interviews and spoke with scores of workers at Kennedy Airport and in Athens, Greece, where the plane stopped before it flew to New York.
They reviewed emergency calls of reports of suspicious cars or boats along the coast and at Kennedy Airport for two months before the event, and inspected marinas throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
"We left no stone unturned. In fact, we looked under every rock ten times," Kallstrom said. (
313KB/14 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)
He also addressed the question of friendly fire, perhaps a U.S. missile test gone awry, which is a contentious theory that investigators repeatedly rejected. "Concerning the issue of friendly fire, we conducted a total and thorough investigation," Kallstrom said. "Of course we asked the military the tough question -- `Did you do it?' -- and of course the answer was no."
Kallstrom spoke with families of TWA crash victims. Among them was Aurelie Becker, who said she feared the withdrawal of the FBI from the investigation could weaken concern about finding the cause of the disaster that killed her 19-year-old daughter, Michele.
"Is this now going to be pursued as vigorously as if it was a bad guy with a turban from a foreign country rather than some guy from corporate America in a blue pinstripe suit?" she said.
John Seaman, whose niece was killed in the crash, said, "If this is not terrorism, this is still a terrible act. The families want justice."
Boeing, which made the jet, said Tuesday that it would continue to help the NTSB investigate the cause of the crash. Company spokesman Russ Young said Seattle-based Boeing had not gotten a copy of the videotape to assess it.
Correspondent Peg Tyre, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Special section:
CNN Interactive's extended coverageRelated stories:
- FBI: No criminal evidence behind TWA 800 crash - November 18, 1997
- FBI previews TWA Flight 800 evidence with families - November 18, 1997
- FBI ends TWA Flight 800 criminal probe - November 13, 1997
- TWA missile theory co-author apologizes - November 5, 1997
- Nose gear doors baffle TWA crash investigators - September 5, 1997
- Last 2 TWA 800 victims identified - August 16, 1997
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
- TWA Flight 800 and Montoursville, PA
- National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
- FAA Office of Accident Investigation - Federal Aviation Administration
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
Sound off on our
message boards
You said it...
© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.Terms under which this service is provided to you.