What happened to TWA flight 800? Families pay tribute to victims 29 years after tragedy

In the TWA flight 800 tragedy, which happened 29 years ago on July 17, 1996, all 230 individuals on board lost their lives. The flight departed from the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, and was traveling to Italy via a stopover at Paris, France.

The flight exploded a few minutes after taking off, and the debris of the crash sank into the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of Long Island, as per CNN.

The process of investigating the crash was long and arduous for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The wreckage of the plane, as well as victims’ remains were recovered over a one-year period with the aid of the US Navy, the US Coast Guard and fishing trawlers, according to CNN.

After a four-year long inquiry, the NTSB determined that the explosion was caused by an electrical short circuit due to which vapors were produced in the center wing fuel tank of the TWA flight 800, noted the news outlet.

A memorial was created for the victims of the TWA flight 800 tragedy

Of the 230 people on board the TWA flight 800, 212 were passengers and 18 people were crew members. A memorial at the Smith Point County Park, the closest location to the wreckage of the crash in the Atlantic Ocean, was constructed in 2002.

Each year, the family members of the victims attend a memorial at the location to honor their loved ones. The location is an important factor for the mourners, who feel at peace at the park, noted Newsday. Margaret Krick, a Missouri native whose son, Oliver "Ollie" Krick died at age 25 in the crash, told the publication,

“Some people lose loved ones in a way with dark and depressing feeling, but I don’t feel that. When I stand there by the ocean, it’s breathtaking for him to be remembered. It brings everything back. When I am there, I feel so connected, faced with God. It's what they deserved and where they all took their last breaths. They were all looking for a beautiful flight landing in Paris or Rome.”

John Seaman, whose teenaged niece Michele passed away in the crash, spoke to Newsday and recognized the significance of the memorial for the mourners. He said,

“For the families, the memorial is a physical representation of the sense of grief, loss and love for the people they lost, and people who came to our aid…Like strangers getting washed up on the beach, the way the people of Long Island responded was unbelievable. The memorial was made so we are able to express ourselves and our feelings and the need for a remembrance. One mother told me when the memorial was completed, that she finally had a place to lay her grief down and not feel guilty about it.”

The 30th anniversary of the TWA flight 800 tragedy will be marked next year. CNN notes that the response to the crash was instrumental in creating a critical legislation, the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act, which would require timely redressal of the requirements of the family members of people involved in aircraft disasters, including the coordination of government and airliner resources.