What happened
On July 17, 1996, at approximately 20:31 EDT, TWA flight 800, a Boeing 747-131, registered as N93119, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York. The aircraft was operating as a scheduled international passenger flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York to Charles DeGaulle International Airport in Paris, France.
The flight departed JFK at approximately 20:19. On board were 2 pilots, 2 flight engineers, 14 flight attendants, and 212 passengers. The aircraft was operating under an instrument flight rules flight plan in visual meteorological conditions. The impact resulted in 230 fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation determined that the crash was caused by a fuel/air explosion within the airplane's center wing fuel tank (CWT), which led to the subsequent in-flight breakup of the aircraft.
Investigators found that the ignition energy for the CWT explosion most likely entered the tank through the wiring of the fuel quantity indication system. While the investigation could not determine the specific location of the ignition inside the CWT or the exact mechanism of the energy release, there was no evidence to suggest a missile or bomb detonation.