TWA 800 FOIA Suit Yields Smoking Gun

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | August 30, 2007 | Jack Cashill

[neverdem]

More than six years after retired United Airline captain Ray Lahr launched his Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) petition into the fate of TWA Flight 800, the FBI has shown him—likely by accident—one seriously smoking gun.

The Boeing 747 blew up off the coast of Long Island on July 17, 1996. One of the FBI documents received recently by Lahr and his attorney, John Clarke of Washington DC, details a communication that took place six days after the crash:

"On Tuesday, July 23, 1996, a representative from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) advised [the FBI] that after a visual analysis of both the videotape as well as a number of still photographs taken from various portions of the tape, the phenomenon captured by [name redacted] appeared to be consistent with the exhaust plume from a MANPAD [Man-portable air-defense] missile."

“The FBI guy who looked at this must not have read it, or not have realized what it would reveal,” says Lahr. “Otherwise he would have redacted most of it as before.”

Adding a new level of intrigue to the investigation is the fact that the video in question appears to have been shot on July 12, 1996, five days before the crash.

The earlier, unedited FBI document reports that a fellow and his friend on Long Island were attempting to videotape the sunrise when they saw and recorded “a grey trail of smoke ascending from the horizon at an angle of approximately 75 [degrees].”

So compelling was the visual that the fellow made a comment to his friend, heard on the tape, “They must be testing a rocket.” The fellow calculated that object was heading towards the Atlantic Ocean.

On the document Lahr first received, the story of the video ends right there. The next two paragraphs had...

[Beckwith]

37 Seconds after the crash, our stalwart FBI came to the conclusion that “it was not terror related.”

End of investigation.

[Phantom Lord]

If TWA800 was downed by a center fuel tank explosion, whey did Algore convene an airline security task force and implement increased airline and airport security measures to protect against terorrists and others meaning harm?

[Erasmus]

I sure do miss my TWA coffee, and even more my TWA...er, well, nevermind.

[neverdem]

Just at a guess, if you're trying to land in an emergency then you might want as little of the stuff that might burst into flames onboard as possible.

My point was that they always seem to be carrying an excess of what they need.

[Non-Sequitur]

How about the Airbus grounding following the crash in NY a couple weeks after Sept 11?

I think you're mistaken. The Airbus 300 was not grounded after that crash.

[Palladin]

God Bless Ray Lahr! He will not give up until the truth is known.

And whoever killed all those beautiful souls on that plane is still walking around free.

[Phantom Lord]

That makes sense with perfect fuel systems. So how come they are always dumping fuel before emergency landings?

I'm not the smartest guy around, but even I know they dump fuel to reduce the possibility of explosion by reducing available fuel for the explosion.

[Stayfree]

Since I misplaced my tin foil hat, I have been unable to remember the name of Ron Brown's partner who was on TWA 800 and who had previously missed getting on another ill-fated flight that crashed.

Oh well, Shrillery's brain cells will undoubtly be found someday hidden deep in a vault with JFK's brain. Tea leaves will be sprinkled on her brain cells and a shocking new book will be published describing in great detail how the Clintons were able to cover up their involvement in the 100 plus dead bodies associated with their misdeeds.

[purpleraine]

Awaiting bail, I hope.

[NY Attitude]

Aircraft have better landings when at a specific weight. They carry more than enough fuel in case they get diverted to another airport because of inclement weather, runways closed or other such malady.

[Non-Sequitur]

My point was that they always seem to be carrying an excess of what they need.

And my point is that the 747 had more than enough fuel to get to Paris without the center fuel tank. TWA isn't going to fill up with thousands of pounds of additional fuel just to haul it to Paris.

[gracesdad]

“...a shocking new book will be published describing in great detail how the Clintons were able to cover up their involvement in the 100 plus dead bodies associated with their misdeeds.”

The Clintons are all-powerful and can get away with anything. Didn’t you know that? That’s how they keep all their assasins quiet.

[aviator]

That makes sense with perfect fuel systems. So how come they are always dumping fuel before emergency landings?
I’m not the smartest guy around, but even I know they dump fuel to reduce the possibility of explosion by reducing available fuel for the explosion.

---

Fuel is dumped before an emergency landing in order to reduce the landing weight to within limits. Fuel is never dumped for any “explosive” possibility.

TWA’s center tank pump switches were off when the engineer’s panel was pulled from the ocean. With the fuel pumps not operating, I don’t see how they can spark and cause an explosion.

[woollyone]

all DC-10s...immediately after left engine fell off at ORD.

[tarheelswamprat]

This was a flight to Paris and the fuel tank was supposed to be empty or almost empty. It doesn't pass the smell test, IMHO.

That same 747 had flown non-stop from Athens to New York that day. By comparison a flight from New York to Paris was a short hop and there is no reason why the center fuel tank should have been filled.

Your argument is incorrect. The distance from Athens to New York is approximately 4,900 miles. The distance from New York to Paris is 3,600 miles, which in comparison to the New York-Athens distance is in no sense "a short hop". The only short hop would be the 1,300 mile one from Athens to Paris.

[B4Ranch]

Thank you.

[Beckwith]

Can someone tell me what that green thing is (circled in red) on Air Force One in the picture at the very end of the source article?

[DoughtyOne]

I should add, I’m 0% convinced that the center fuel tank blue due to some design flaw.

Sure love it when I due that.  ;-)

I hope you are wrong about us being able to prove who did it.  I'm by no means convinced you are.

[neverdem]

Electronic counter measure? See comment# 21.

[pray4liberty]

If my memory serves me correctly, it was reported on the news (once) that the plane that was scheduled to take off at that time was El Al--but TWA 800 got clearance from the controllers first.

It was never mentioned again....kind of like when that USAir plane went down with our entire Energy Department executives on it (during Clintoon's administration) and the first thing out of their lying mouths was that it wasn't a bomb, even though that hadn't been investigated yet.

Sure makes you wonder.