Trans World Airlines Flight 800 (TWA 800) tragically met its fate in July 1996 when it crashed. Carrying 230 individuals, the Boeing 747 bound from JFK airport to Paris crashed south of Long Island, New York. The aircraft, flying at a lower altitude than normal to accommodate another nearby jet, suddenly exploded upon receiving instructions to gain altitude, resulting in the total destruction of the plane and the loss of all lives aboard.
The aftermath of the Flight 800 disaster birthed a conspiracy theory centered on a flare or projectile hitting the aircraft. Multiple eyewitnesses reported seeing a bright orange light rising from the water towards the plane, with 183 individuals claiming to have witnessed this streak of light. Most accounts suggested the light originated from the surface and ascended toward Flight 800. However, official investigations dismissed these testimonies, attributing the streaking light to be the aircraft itself, conflicting with 94% of eyewitness accounts.
The theory gained momentum, bolstered by claims from more than 150 witnesses, including scientists and business executives, who asserted seeing a missile strike the plane. Despite findings consistent with explosive residues on wreckage samples that matched a military solid fuel rocket motor, the source of these residues remained unidentified by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), precluding any definitive conclusions.
Journalist James Sanders and his wife, Elizabeth, contributed to the narrative of a potential cover-up by publishing a book alleging the plane was downed by a missile, leading to their prosecution for exposing evidence from the crash site. Meanwhile, various irregularities, such as the Navy’s involvement in the area’s investigation, were noted, including the discrepancy surrounding the black box’s location and contradicting statements about submarine presence.
Additionally, allegations of falsified simulation data and theories involving a meteor fragment or High-Intensity Radiated Fields from military aircraft were posited, though lacking substantial evidence. Critical voices from groups like the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and retired Naval officer William Donaldson’s report raised concerns about the investigation’s handling and proposed alternative missile-related scenarios.
The Flight 800 incident remains riddled with unresolved discrepancies, including disregarded eyewitness accounts, unexplained explosions, and inconsistencies from official sources. While no definitive conclusions have been drawn, the circumstances surrounding Flight 800’s demise remain a curious and contentious subject within air-crash conspiracies, inspiring ongoing documentary recreations to shed light on the incident.