[Lower Deck]

The US Nave was in the area and there was an ‘exercise’ going on. So maybe it was an air to air missile with a dummy warhead.

Yes, the Navy is going to deliberately shoot missiles into the most heavily traveled air corridor in the world. Makes perfect sense. </sarcasm>

[tje]

I worked on this missile system.. http://www.jta.org/1974/01/14/archive/probe-set-for-abu-rodeis-fire

Though I was in Germany when this happened.

[Flintlock]

The Iranians had a bunch of US-made air-to-air missiles intended for the F 15. They were built as dual-purpose anti-air weapons to be used on ships as well.
They could easily have used one of these—and having been built in the USA, any remains could REALLY confuse the issue.
I too, believe the El Al plane was the target. Flt 800 was late.

[CodeToad]

“Yes, the Navy is going to deliberately shoot missiles into the most heavily traveled air corridor in the world. Makes perfect sense.”

Actually, they do. Google for the aeronautical chart for that area. It is called a “Warning Area”, and is an area used by the military and NASA to perform such exercises.

Flight 800 skirted an edge of that active area that night when it should not have.

[CodeToad]

This is the sectional chart for that area. Notice the very large Warning Areas used for military operations. The upper yellow area is Long Island.