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
In Afghanistan, stingers were used well beyond their specified range for hitting slow-moving Soviet aircraft.
No, they really don't. Stingers can't hit anything above 12,500 feet and they can't hit anything going anywhere near 500 mph. There's no way in hell that a Stinger -- or any MANPADS -- can come close to hitting a commercial airplane at speed and at altitude.
The Gremlin has a max range of 4500 meters, so that's not inconcievable
Yes, it is inconceivable. TWA 800 was at about 4500 meters when it exploded, so the Gremlin could have hit it... maybe... if it had been hovering like a helicopter and the person who was firing it was standing on dry land directly underneath. But at 500mph, there's no way it would have anything like the range needed to down the plane. Same goes for the SA-18. We're not talking about this being a little bit beyond the maximum capabilities of any of these missiles, this is far beyond their capabilities.
Moreover, all of them would have had to have been fired from boats 8 miles out into the ocean, not an easy task by any stretch. If you've ever tried to use a MANPADS, you'll understand what I'm talking about.
Yeah but it has a 35 lb warhead. That would have to be a really good hit on a fuel tank.
A large bomb onboard would be more effective.