[gr8eman]

When a seaborne missile is fired, it is unmistakable as there are waves in the ocean, but no terrain to mask the origin. I saw a bright orange projectile ascend at a high rate of speed observed from an east northeasterly perspective rising at about an 85 degree north angle from the ocean (which would mean the origin was south of the flight path). A lot of people saw the same thing...so many that they took out an ad in the NY Times to affirm their details were consistent. That wasn't a bottle rocket...it had to be sea-based missile that was locked on to that plane.

The only other possibility in my mind is that a ships radar locked onto the energy from the blast and launched on it.

[RayChuang88]

That's why I've said that some terrorist group may have jury-rigged a 9K33 Osa SAM system so it fits in a larger pleasure boat. The missile used on 9K33 system can reach as high as 40,000 feet, well within the range of TWA Flight 800 at the time (around 13,500 feet). The altitude and speed of the 747 at the time still makes it very iffy that a Soviet-era MANPAD could hit it--but the 9K33 missile certainly can.