What happened
On the evening of July 17, 1996, Trans World Airlines (TWA) flight 800 departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, bound for Charles De Gaulle International Airport in Paris. The aircraft, a Boeing 747-131 registered as N93119, was operating as a scheduled international service. Shortly after its 20:19 departure, at approximately 20:31 EDT, the aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New and York.
The flight was carrying a total of 230 people, consisting of 212 passengers and 18 crew members, including pilots, flight engineers, and flight attendants. The accident resulted in 230 fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft. At the time of the incident, the flight was operating under instrument flight rules, though visual meteorological conditions were present.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the aircraft experienced an in-flight breakup following a fuel/air explosion within the center wing fuel tank (CWT). While investigators could not pinpoint the exact mechanism or specific location of the ignition source, evidence suggested that the energy required to trigger the explosion likely entered the tank via the wiring for the fuel quantity indication system. The investigation found no evidence to suggest that a bomb or missile was involved in the destruction of the plane.