Dan, upthread it was mentioned that some folks thought the altitude more like 7,500 feet. This was due to observations of pilots in the area. I’m not hawking this view, but you may want to check it out.
One of the places where this was mentioned, was the testimony of a pilot who wintessed the event. That testimony was linked up thread. Comparing his altitude with the TWA 800, he was certain the event took place at around 7,500 feet.
Thanks. I'm familiar with Sven Faret's account.