Newly surfaced FBI records suggest an Egyptian terror group claimed responsibility for downing TWA Flight 800 off Long Island in 1996, an incident that killed all 230 people aboard. The claim is featured in a new documentary marking the 30th anniversary of the tragedy.
The records, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the nonprofit Judicial Watch, include a New York teletype from two days after the July 17, 1996, crash stating that "FBI headquarters received faxes generated from Cairo claiming credit for the destruction of the aircraft." The document does not name the group or assess the veracity of its claim.
Judicial Watch is seeking further information through a federal lawsuit against the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The group's findings are to be presented in the documentary "Judicial Watch Investigates TWA 800 – 30 Years Later."
"Let's see the faxes. Did you pursue it? To what degree? Was it a fraudster? Was it legitimate?" asked Chris Farrell, Judicial Watch's chief investigator, who has spent years examining the evidence. Farrell expressed alarm, stating, "That's pretty alarming considering there was a massive effort to swat that theory down back in ‘96. Cairo at that point was a hotbed for all kinds of militant Islamist supremacists."
TWA Flight 800 departed JFK International Airport in New York at 8:19 p.m. bound for Paris. The Boeing 747-100 exploded over the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, 12 minutes after takeoff. All 18 crew members and 212 passengers died instantly.
Official Investigations and Theories
A 14-month FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation, alongside a four-year NTSB probe, ultimately rejected the theory of a terrorist attack. The NTSB concluded that the "probable cause" of the accident was "an explosion of the center wing fuel tank (CWT) resulting from ignition of the flammable fuel/air mixture in the tank." The NTSB determined that the most likely source of ignition was a spark caused by a short circuit, though the exact source could not be determined with certainty.
The $40 million investigation, which involved reconstructing the aircraft from recovered wreckage, identified contributing factors including the design and certification of the Boeing 747 with heat sources beneath the CWT and the lack of means to reduce heat transfer or render the fuel vapor nonflammable. In 1997, then-assistant FBI Director James Kallstrom announced the FBI's closure of its probe, stating there was "no evidence has been found which would indicate that a criminal act was the cause."
However, the documentary and Judicial Watch raise questions about the official findings. One document, an internal FBI memo from February 1997, references "three most likely theories" for the explosion: a bomb, a missile, or mechanical failure. The memo noted, "Despite a wealth of circumstantial evidence indicating that the aircraft was struck by a missile fired from a sea-borne platform, the exact cause of the explosion remains a mystery."
Physicist Tom Stalcup, who consulted on lawsuits brought by victims' families, claims to have identified a piece of fuselage with a curved end indicating an external source of explosion. He alleged that this piece was flattened during the investigation to obscure evidence of external force.
Judicial Watch also questioned why no other 747s were grounded after the incident and why no similar explosions occurred in subsequent years. The organization stated that government agencies have "not been forthcoming" with additional documents.
Some eyewitnesses reported seeing streaks of light before the explosion, though a CIA video simulation suggested they were seeing burning fuel. The FBI's probe included examining the possibility of a bomb being smuggled aboard and interviewing witnesses.