[Uncle Chip]

The Boeing 747 en route to Paris from New York exploded 12 minutes after takeoff from JFK International airport on 17 July, 1996. The cause was the subject of intense debate for years, but investigators concluded vapours ignited in a fuel tank.

It's funny how those vapours in planes before and since this event never did ignite. Perhaps they only ignite when prompted by some outside force --- like a missile. I guess the investigators must have missed that.

[ops33]

Actually, there have been many incidents of fuel vapors exploding in aircraft fuel tanks both airborne and on the ground. The KC 135 and B 52 have had several and it is one of the reasons the Air Force uses nitrogen to purge empty tanks.