Retired Airline Pilot sues NTSB for "Zoom-climb" data

Retired airline Pilot Capt. Ray Lahr has brought suit against the NTSB for release of the data pertaining to the alleged "zoom-climb" by TWA800. NTSB has stated that this event was what the hundreds of witnesses observed prior to the TWA800 explosion.

so it would naturally nose up and begin climbing.

It would do so only very briefly. The CG being moved rearwards make the plain exponentialy unstable. As a result, the more it pitches up, the greater the pitch up force. At high speeds that would have snaped the wings, at low speeds it would have stalled the airplane outright. As for the engine thrust, it would have had no impact when wings would snap, and during a stall it would have had negligble effect. Notwithstanding of course that the violent pitch up would most likely flip the airplane around the wing axis like a washing machine tumbler. Gain in altitude would be virtualy nil, and the airplane would quickly start droping like a rock.

You don't like to document your alleged "witness reports" for the readers , do you. Let's see those alleged "witness reports".

You also run away from the discussions about the timeline problem with the "shootdown" notion and obviously haven't yet been able to conjure up even a half way palatable "shootdown" timeline of your own. Read on.

The timeline and location of the major events of the TWA 800 disaster was approximately as follows:

8:31:11 Intact and climbing 747 approaches 13,800 feet.

8:31:12 Initiating Event at 13,800 feet followed immediately by the commencement of the decapitation process.

8:31:43-8:31:47 Streak of light appears.

8:31:47 Explosion of Massive Fireball at 5500-7500 feet.

8:31:55-8:31:57 Splashdown of the Massive Fireball flames.
Source.

From: George A Donaldson
Date: Thu Aug 8, 2002 12:55 pm
[quote]
There was more than one streak. One preceded the IE, one after preceding the MF. Two teats fell out of the MF but I don't consider them streaks. Witnesses claimed that they spiraled downward similar to a Chinese Elm's seed. If they were the two wings from the plane, that makes sense. Of course, if so, they were stubby wings since the outer tips tore off at the IE.
[end quote]

Yahoo TWA800 forum
From: George A Donaldson
Date: Wed Aug 7, 2002 9:57 am
[excerpt][quote] At :43, I figure that water impact has begun. The streak should have its beginning very shortly after the IE. It would amplify with time as noted by David McClaine. I would place a visible streak at around :25 or earlier. Meyer's observation supports this as well.
[end quote]

Yahoo TWA800 forum
From: Greg Salyards "wwwqwww"
Date: Fri Aug 9, 2002 10:29 am
[excerpt][quote][emphasis his]
The timeline and location of the major events of the disaster was approximately as follows:

8:31:11 Intact and climbing 747 approaches 13,800 feet.

PRIOR TO THIS TIME AN ORANGE 'STREAK/OBJECT/THINGY' WAS OBSERVED BY MULTIPLE WITNESSES MOVING TOWARD TWA 800. THE EARLIEST WITNESS SAW IT CROSS THE EAST RIVER NORTH OF ASTORIA, NY. IT WAS OBSERVED BY OTHERS TO BE SMALLER AND FASTER THAN A NORMAL AIRCRAFT. IT APPEARS TO HAVE FLOWN NORTH AND EAST OF WEST ISLIP, NY AND SOUTH AND WEST OF ISLIP AIRPORT. IT CROSSED THE BARRIER ISLAND EAST OF DAVIS PARK AND ULTIMATELY CROSSED THE TRACK OF TWA 800. IT EITHER FLEW THROUGH TWA 800 OR PAST TWA 800 JUST AT THE TIME OF THE INITIATING EVENT (IE). THERE MAY HAVE BEEN OBSERVATIONS OF ANOTHER STREAK AND/OR RADAR TRACK(S) PRIOR TO THE IE.

8:31:12 Initiating Event at 13,800 feet followed immediately by the commencement of the decapitation process.

8:31:43-8:31:47 Streak of light appears.

8:31:47 Explosion of Massive Fireball at 5500-7500 feet.

8:31:55-8:31:57 Splashdown of the Massive Fireball flames.

Greg
[end quote]

Now, of course, any dunderhead would immediately recognize a missile in flight from that animated graphic portrayal by the legendary tinfoil hat, Ian Goddard. But the witnesses didn't see what the tinfoil hats' mantra says they saw, did they.

Dwight Brumley: "I could not positively say that what I saw was a missile. What I saw was a very bright flame of light moving parallel to my aircraft."
Source.

Fred Meyer: "I saw a streak of light in the sky. I have no idea what it was. And my reaction when I saw it was, what the hell is that?"
Source.

The "Missile Witnesses" Myth

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