TWA Flight 800 Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
TWA Flight 800
Accident summary
The reconstructed aircraft used by investigators
Date	July 17, 1996 (1996-07-17)
Summary	Breakup caused by an explosion in the fuel tank
Place	Atlantic Ocean, near East Moriches, New York, U.S.
Fatalities	230
Survivors	0
Aircraft type	Boeing 747-131
Airline/user	Trans World Airlines
Flew from	John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, U.S.
Flying to	Rome Fiumicino Airport, Rome, Italy

TWA Flight 800 was a scheduled passenger flight operated by Trans World Airlines. On July 17, 1996, the airplane departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. It was flying to Rome Fiumicino Airport in Italy, with a stop planned at Charles de Gaulle Airport in France. Just twelve minutes after takeoff, the Boeing 747-100 suffered a major explosion. It fell into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York. Sadly, all 230 people on board lost their lives in the crash.

What Happened to TWA Flight 800?
Finding the Cause
Lasting Safety Changes
Images for kids
See also

What Happened to TWA Flight 800?

The Boeing 747 aircraft before the 1996 accident

On that evening, the flight had been delayed for over an hour. The jumbo jet took off smoothly at 8:19 p.m. It flew over the coast of Long Island. Pilots received instructions from air traffic control to climb higher. Around 8:31 p.m., the radar tracking signal suddenly vanished from screens operated by the Federal Aviation Administration.

A pilot flying an Eastwind Airlines plane nearby reported seeing a bright flash in the sky. Many other witnesses on the ground and in the air saw fire falling into the water. Rescue boats from the United States Navy and local teams rushed to help. However, they found no survivors among the passengers and crew.

Finding the Cause

Recovered pieces of the plane showing damaged wires

A huge team led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) started an investigation. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also helped look into the event. Specialized teams used scuba divers, trawlers, and underwater robots with side-scan sonar. They gathered over 95 percent of the broken parts from the sea floor.

Experts rebuilt parts of the plane inside a large hangar in Calverton, New York. After four years of study, the NTSB solved the mystery. They discovered that flammable fumes in the center fuel tank had caught fire. A damaged electrical wire likely caused a short circuit. This sent extra power to the system that measured the fuel, creating a spark.

Lasting Safety Changes

This tragedy led to major improvements in world aviation. New rules were created to keep commercial airplanes safe. The government required airlines to add an inerting system to large airplanes. This system pumps harmless nitrogen gas into tanks to push out dangerous oxygen. These changes helped prevent future fuel-tank explosions on passenger jets around the world. A peaceful memorial was later built at Smith Point County Park in Shirley, New York.