ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 747-131 N93119 East Moriches, NY
ASN logo
 

Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Wednesday 17 July 1996
Time:20:31
Type:Silhouette image of generic B741 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Boeing 747-131
Operator:Trans World Airlines - TWA
Registration: N93119
MSN: 20083/153
First flight: 1971-08-18 (24 years 11 months)
Total airframe hrs:93303
Cycles:16869
Engines: 4 Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7AH
Crew:Fatalities: 18 / Occupants: 18
Passengers:Fatalities: 212 / Occupants: 212
Total:Fatalities: 230 / Occupants: 230
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:13 km (8.1 mls) S off East Moriches, NY (   United States of America)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport, NY (JFK/KJFK), United States of America
Destination airport:Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG/LFPG), France
Flightnumber:TW800
Narrative:
TWA Boeing 747 N93119 arrived as Flight TW881 from Athens at New York-JFK at 16:31. The airplane was refueled at JFK and remained at gate 27 with the auxiliary power unit (APU) and two of its three air conditioning packs operating for about 2 1/2 hours until it departed as TWA flight 800. The flight was scheduled to depart JFK for Paris about 19:00; however, the flight was delayed because of a disabled piece of ground equipment and concerns about a suspected passenger/baggage mismatch. The aircraft was pushed back from the gate about 20:02. Between 20:05 and 20:07, the flight crew started the Nos. 1, 2, and 4 engines and completed the after-start checklist. The flight crew then received taxi instructions and began to taxi to runway 22R. While the airplane was taxiing, about 20:14, the flight crew started the No. 3 engine and conducted the delayed engine-start and taxi checklists.
At 20:18:21, ATC advised the pilots that the wind was out of 240-degrees at 8 knots and cleared flight 800 for takeoff. After takeoff the pilots received a series of altitude assignments and heading changes from New York Terminal Radar Approach Control and Boston ARTCC controllers. At 20:25:41, Boston ARTCC advised the pilots to climb and maintain FL190 and expedite through FL150.
At 20:26:24, Boston ARTCC amended TWA flight 800's altitude clearance, advising the pilots to maintain FL130. At 20:29:15, the captain stated, "Look at that crazy fuel flow indicator there on number four .. see that?" One minute later Boston ARTCC advised them to climb and maintain FL150. The crew then selected climb thrust. After a every loud sound for a fraction of a second, the CVR stopped recording at 20:31:12. At that moment, the crew of an Eastwind Airlines Boeing 737 flying nearby reported seeing an explosion. The aircraft broke up and debris fell into the sea, 8 miles south off East Moriches.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "An explosion of the center wing fuel tank (CWT), resulting from ignition of the flammable fuel/air mixture in the tank. The source of ignition energy for the explosion could not be determined with certainty, but, of the sources evaluated by the investigation, the most likely was a short circuit outside of the CWT that allowed excessive voltage to enter it through electrical wiring associated with the fuel quantity indication system.
Contributing factors to the accident were the design and certification concept that fuel tank explosions could be prevented solely by precluding all ignition sources and the design and certification of the Boeing 747 with heat sources located beneath the CWT with no means to reduce the heat transferred into the CWT or to render the fuel vapor in the tank nonflammable."

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 4 years and 1 months
Accident number: NTSB/AAR-00-03
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Fuel tank explosion
Fuselage failure
Loss of control

Sources:
» SKYbrary 
» Lessons Learned From Transport Airplane Accidents: TWA 800


Follow-up / safety actions

FAA issued 2 Airworthiness Directives
FAA issued 3 Special Federal Aviation Regulations
NTSB issued 15 Safety Recommendations

Show all...

Photos

photo of Boeing-747-131-N93119
accident date: 17-07-1996
type: Boeing 747-131
registration: N93119
photo of Boeing-747-131-N93119
accident date: 17-07-1996
type: Boeing 747-131
registration: N93119
photo of Boeing-747-131-N93119
accident date: 17-07-1996
type: Boeing 747-131
registration: N93119
photo of Boeing-747-131-N93119
accident date: 17-07-1996
type: Boeing 747-131
registration: N93119
photo of Boeing-747-131-N93119
accident date: 17-07-1996
type: Boeing 747-131
registration: N93119
photo of Boeing-747-131-N93119
accident date: 17-07-1996
type: Boeing 747-131
registration: N93119
photo of Boeing-747-131-N93119
photo of Boeing-747-131-N93119
accident date: 17-07-1996
type: Boeing 747-131
registration: N93119
photo of Boeing-747-131-N93119
accident date: 17-07-1996
type: Boeing 747-131
registration: N93119
 

Video, social media

Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport, NY to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport as the crow flies is 5794 km (3621 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
languages: languages

Share

Boeing 747

  • 1574 built
  • 26th loss
  • 16th fatal accident
  • 7th worst accident (at the time)
  • 8th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

 United States of America
  • 2nd worst accident (at the time)
  • 5th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org