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The only possible explanation was that an exercise involving a target drone hit the plane. There was no explosive residue found, only “pass through”-—although that certainly wasn’t conclusive.

A Freeper whose name I forget, an aviation specialist, went through the details including photos at great length years ago. He debunked any missile strike. But even for those who still claim it was a missile, as you correctly say, 800 was too high for a Stinger. Only a Navy Standard missile could have hit it-—but 800 would have been utterly shattered. Instead, there is pretty good evidence that a door developed some sort of bulge, that this in turn led to a fuel line interaction with a spark.

But it’s been years since we went over all these things. All I remember is the one key piece of evidence, namely there was no explosive residue anywhere, only a minute trace of what could have been “pass through” residue, as if a missile “got away” from the Navy and went right through 800 without exploding.

All I remember is the one key piece of evidence, namely there was no explosive residue anywhere, only a minute trace of what could have been “pass through” residue, as if a missile “got away” from the Navy and went right through 800 without exploding.

That scenario explains the coverup best. No way Clinton could have avoided getting stuck with the "Bill's Underfunded and Incompetent Navy" charge in the 1996 election. As to how hard it would be to "keep a whole ship quiet", it seems probable only a few Navy personnel would know exactly what had happened. The Clintons didn't have any trouble keeping half of Arkansas quiet in 1992.

I think Jack had mentioned a Cherokee 6 or an Arrow - some six-seater single-engine (probably turbo’d) plane that could reach that 16,000-25,000 altitude. Packed with explosives to T-bone the 747.

My TWA captain friend (now passed) talked to me at length about that, especially the chemical residue on the seats’ fabric. It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything on TW800, so the details are a bit fuzzy.

Wikipedia says there was explosive residue found (in trace amounts).

"Trace amounts of explosive residue were detected on three samples of material from three separate locations of the recovered airplane wreckage (described by the FBI as a piece of canvas-like material and two pieces of a floor panel).[1]:118 These samples were submitted to the FBI's laboratory in Washington, D.C., which determined that one sample contained traces of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX), another nitroglycerin, and the third a combination of RDX and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN);[1]:118"

And since investigators are saying that a tiny spark caused the FAE in the CWT, then, even if there's no evidence for a missile or "big bomb", it wouldn't take much explosive, placed in the right location, to do the same job that this magic spark is supposed to have done.

I just haven't delved deep enough to form a definitive opinion on TWA-800, but I'd be interested in any book recommendations about this incident...

“But it’s been years since we went over all these things. All I remember is the one key piece of evidence, namely there was no explosive residue anywhere, only a minute trace of what could have been “pass through” residue, as if a missile “got away” from the Navy and went right through 800 without exploding.”

It is just an amazing coincidence that the US Navy was performing pyrotechnic maneuvers along the NY/NJ coast that day...