[Alter Kaker]

TWA Flight 800 was just off Long Island, not in the North Atlantic.

TWA Flight 800 exploded 8 miles into the North Atlantic.

But please, let me know which MANPADS systems have the ability to hit a plane at 15,000 feet traveling at 500mph. If you can find one, I'm sure every country in the world would be interested in purchasing it.

[beltfed308]

http://www.dsd.es.northropgrumman.com/commercial_aircraft/threat/zone.html addresses current threat. What it was back then I don’t know but I am looking.

[Lurker]

Stingers come pretty close:

Light to carry and relatively easy to operate, the FIM-92 Stinger is a passive surface-to-air missile, shoulder-fired by a single operator, although officially it requires two. The FIM-92B can attack aircraft at a range of up to 15,700 feet (4800 m) and at altitudes between 600 and 12,500 feet

The Gremlin has a max range of 4500 meters, so that's not inconcievable. Since it was designed to hit combat aircraft, tracking a commercial jumbo would be childsplay.

The SA-18 Grouse has a max range of 16,000 feet. So there's another one.

You really should do just a teensy bit of research before you spout off that it's 'impossible'.

L