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 carrying 212 passengers and 18 crew members.[2] The plane exploded just 12 minutes after takeoff, tore apart and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York.[1] There were no survivors.[3] The cause was determined to be a spark that ignited the center wing fuel tank. It remains the third-deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.[4] It is one of the deadliest aviation accidents in Boeing 747 in history.
 The reconstructed wreckage of TWA 800, stored at Calverton Executive Airpark by the NTSB | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | July 17, 1996 |
| Summary | In-flight breakup due to fuel tank explosion caused by short circuit |
| Site | New York Bight near East Moriches, New York 40°39′N 72°38′W / 40.650°N 72.633°W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 747-131 |
| Operator | Trans World Airlines |
| IATA flight No. | TW800 |
| ICAO flight No. | TWA800 |
| Call sign | TWA 800 |
| Registration | N93119 |
| Flight origin | John F. Kennedy Int'l Airport New York City |
| Stopover | Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris |
| Destination | Leonardo da Vinci Airport Rome |
| Occupants | 230 |
| Passengers | 212 |
| Crew | 18 |
| Fatalities | 230 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Passengers and Crew
change| 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 |
 Israel |
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.
References
change- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "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
- ↑ Chuck Hadad (July 15, 2014). "5 things you didn't know about the crash of TWA Flight 800". CNN. 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.