Normally if I heard about a documentary that purported to uncover “new” evidence about the TWA Flight 800 disaster, I would roll my eyes. But I’m actually quite interested to see the film and am approaching it with an open mind. Here’s why.
The crash of Flight 800 into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Long Island on July 17, 1996, was the first big aviation story I covered as a journalist. I can still clearly remember standing on the bridge that crosses the Shinnecock Inlet and watching as scallop trawlers brought mangled pieces of the Boeing 747 to shore. It was unsettling to think that 230 people had lost their lives aboard what was left of that airplane. After the most expensive accident investigation in its history, the NTSB four years later determined a spark caused an explosion in the center fuel tank, bringing the jetliner down. I was satisfied.
