NTSB Denies Petition on 1996 Crash of TWA Flight 800

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July 2

The National Transportation Safety Board today denied a petition for reconsideration of its findings in the investigation of the 1996 crash of TWA flight 800.

The petition was filed in June 2013 by a group called The TWA 800 Project. Petitioners claimed a "detonation or high-velocity explosion" caused the crash.

"Our investigations are never 'closed'," said Acting Chairman Christopher A. Hart. "We always remain open to the presentation of new evidence." Before responding to the petition, NTSB staff met with the petitioners' representatives and listened to an eyewitness who described what he saw on the night of the accident. After a thorough review of all the information provided by the petitioners, the NTSB denied the petition in its entirety because the evidence and analysis presented did not show the original findings were incorrect.

To consider the petition, the NTSB assembled a team of investigators not previously involved with the original investigation. For more on the NTSB's response, please see twa800.sites.usa.gov.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent federal agency charged with determining the probable cause

of transportation accidents, promoting transportation safety, and assisting victims of transportation accidents and their families.