Lead investigator of 1996 s TWA Flight 800 South shore tragedy dies at 78
News 12 Staff
Updated on: Jul 06, 2021, 2:36am
James Kallstrom, the man who led the FBI s investigation into the crash of TWA Flight 800 off Long Island s south shore, has died at 78.
His 16-month investigation concluded that a spark in the center fuel tank caused the July 1996 disaster.
The Paris-bound Boeing 747 jet exploded and plunged into the waters off East Moriches shortly after departing John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 230 people on board, including 14 Long Islanders.
The 25th anniversary of the explosion will be July 17.
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The NTSB promised families the wreckage would never be publicly displayed.
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Wreckage from TWA Flight 800 explosion to be destroyed
In 1996, TWA Flight 800 exploded after takeoff, killing 230 people. Its wreckage has been used for training for nearly two decades.Jon Levy/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
The National Transportation Safety Board said it will destroy the remaining wreckage of TWA Flight 800 after nearly 20 years as a training tool.
TWA Flight 800 grabbed the world’s attention when shortly after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport in July 1996, the Paris-bound Boeing 747 exploded, killing all 230 onboard. The NTSB investigation became the longest, most complicated and expensive investigation in aviation history, lasting more than four years and costing $40 million.
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