I am an experienced aviation professional and have a theory for the crash
of TWA flight 800. May I speak with anyone on the staff of NTSB to discuss
it?
I have a reasonable explanation for the cause of crash of TWA flight 800.
May I speak with someone involved with aircraft accident investi.gations?
I have extensive aircraft experience and am a retired military officer.
It's worth listening to.
The theory is that inadvertent cargo door openings have caused the crashes
of TWA Flight 800, Pan Am Flight 103, and United Flight 811. RE: TWA Flight
800, the visual streak reported is the cargo door spinning down reflecting
in the evening dusk sun. The radar anomaly is the cargo door as it detached
from the fulelage. The tapes of Flights 800, 103 and 811 will all be similar
at the time of door separation.
Attached as jpg files are two illustrations: one is a photo from the NTSB
accident report of United Flight 811 after landing with it's cargo door
torn off. The rectangle shows the area of tearing and loss. The other illustration
is a drawing from the UK accident report of Pan AM Flight 103 showing the
sequence of destruction. This drawing shows the similarity of disintergration.
The shapes are the same, the doors were broken in half at the same breakline,
and the sizes are the same. There are other interesting drawings in the
UK report but at this time we are testing the concept of scanning documents
and attaching them as jpgs to send to you as email. Please tell me your
success at this mode and the quality of pictures.
Below are two reports from the NTSB archives just for reference. The Flight
103 report is blank on the NTSB web page, probably because it is a foreign
report. (But I ordered it from a company who responded to my request on
your AVWEB page. He read your web page, saw my request and emailed me. I
emailed back and ordered the two reports from the company for total 120
dollars. I had tried for months to do something that took one day using
AVWEB.)
More info: the sounds of the two flight recorders on 103 and 811 are similar
at time of door coming off. The 811 door was found unlatched at the bottom
of Pacific; 103 door was found and latch condition omitted in report while
the other two cargo doors were reported as latched. Radar blip anomalies
were detected on 103 and 800 just before disintergration. Door spinning
away would give such blips and also for 800 appear as visual streak as it
reflected the evening sun.
The doors of 811 and 103 came off and 125 opened, no doubt. The cause of
the 811 was improper latching and design. The stated cause of 103 was bomb
in cargo hold.
All four aircraft were very eary 747-100 series with over 58000 flights
hours. Many early 747's, such as Pan Am 103, had their cargo doors and cargo
area reworked for military use thereby tampering with original design.
False positive for explosives on TWA Flight 800 was reported today, could
have happened on 103.
Yes, I am saying Pan Am 103 crash cause was an inadvertent opening cargo
door and not a bomb. Yes, I am saying United 811 and Pan Am 125 were a cargo
doors. Yes, I am saying TWA 800 crash cause was a cargo door.
I predict the door on 800 will be found broken in half and unlatched. I
predict the flight data recorders will have simliar sounds at time of destruction
to the 103 and 811 tapes. I predict the breakup sequence of the airframe
will be similar.
Here is the analogy: A balloon not inflated when pricked does nothing, such
as inadvertant door opening on runway (as 747 cargo doors have done several
documented times). A balloon partially pricked does nothing, such as a door
opening but not coming off (Pan Am Flight 125). A balloon pricked when fully
inflated pops, such as door opening at 31000 feet (Pan Am 103). A balloon
pricked when partially inflated hisses and deflates, such as door opening
at 21000 feet (United Flight 811), or 13500 feet, (TWA Flight 800). And
then wind force takes over and tears the fuselage apart. (How lucky were
the passengers on Flight 125 and Flight 811!)
Background on me: I was an audiologist for ten years and can analyze sounds
such as the flight data recorder tapes. I was a radar operator for nine
years and can understand picking up large cargo doors as returns. I was
an air intelligence officer/reconnaissance attack navigator for eight years
and understand need for careful research, evaluation, and conclusions. I
was involved in an ejection where the pilot died and I suffered back injury.
I know accident investigation is important.
1. This excerpt is from the United Flight 811 cargo door report used as
background info.
1.17.1 Previous Cargo Door Incident
On March 10, 1987, a Pan American Airways B-747-122, N740PA,
operating as flight 125 from London to New York, experienced an incident
involving the forward cargo door. According to Pan Am and Boeing officials
who investigated this incident, the flightcrew experienced pressurization
problems as the airplane was climbing through about 20,000 feet. The crew
began a descent and the pressurization problem ceased about 15,000 feet.
The crew began to climb again, but about 20,000 feet, the cabin altitude
began to rise rapidly again. The flight returned to London.
When the airplane was examined on the ground, the forward cargo door was
found open about 1 1/2 inches along the bottom with the latch cams unlatched
and the master latch lock handle closed. The cockpit cargo door warning
light was off.
2. Scheduled 14 CFR 121 operation of TRANSWORLD AIRWAYS (D.B.A. TWA)
Accident occurred JUL-17-96 at EAST MORICHES, NY
Aircraft: Boeing 747, registration: N93119
Injuries: 230 Fatal.
On July 17, 1996, about 8:45pm, TWA flight 800, N93119, a Boeing 747-100,
crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Long Island shortly after
takeoff from Kennedy International Airport. The airplane was on a regularly
scheduled flight to Paris, France. The initial reports are that witnesses
saw an
explosion and then debris descending to the ocean. There are no reports
of the flightcrew reporting a problem to air traffic control. The airplane
was
manufactured in November 1971. It has accumulated about 93,303 flight hours
and 16,869 cycles. On board the airplane were 212 passengers and 18
crewmembers. The airplane was destroyed and there were no survivors.
3. Scheduled 14 CFR 121 operation of UNITED AIRLINES (D.B.A. UNITED AIRLINES,INC.)
Accident occurred FEB-24-89 at HONOLULU, HI
Aircraft: BOEING 747-122, registration: N4713U
Injuries: 9 Fatal, 5 Serious, 33 Minor, 309 Uninjured.
FTL #811 WAS A SCHEDULED PASSENGER FLIGHT FROM LOS ANGELES TO SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA,
WITH STOPS IN HONOLULU (HNL), HI, AND
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL AFTER DEPARTURE FROM
HNL. WHILE CLIMBING FROM FL220 TO FL230 THE CREW
HEARD A "THUMP" FOLLOWED BY AN EXPLOSION. AN EXPLOSIVE DECOMPRESSION
WAS EXPERIENCED AND THE #3 AND #4 ENGS WERE SHUTDOWN
BECAUSE OF FOD. THE FLT RETURNED TO HNL AND PASSENGERS WERE EVACUATED. INSPECTION
REVEALED THE FORWARD LOWER LOBE CARGO
DOOR DEPARTED INFLT CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AND CABIN ADJACENT
TO THE DOOR. NINE PASSENGERS WERE EJECTED
AND LOST AT SEA. INVESTIGATION CENTERED AROUND DESIGN AND CERTIFICATION
OF THE DOOR WHICH ALLOWED IT TO BE IMPROPERLY
LATCHED, AND THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE TO ASSURE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE
DOOR AND LATCHING MECHANISM. (SEE
NTSB/AAR-90/01)
Probable Cause
THE SUDDEN OPENING OF THE IMPROPERLY LATCHED FORWARD LOBE CARGO DOOR IN
FLIGHT AND THE SUBSEQUENT EXPLOSIVE
DECOMPRESSION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A DEFICIENCY IN THE DESIGN
OF THE CARGO DOOR LOCKING MECHANISMS, WHICH MADE
THEM SUSCEPTIBLE TO INSERVICE DAMAGE, AND WHICH ALOWED THE DOOR TO BE UNATCHED,
YET TO SHOW A PROPERLY LATCHED AND LOCKED
POSITION. ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF PROPER MAINTENANCE
AND INSPECTION OF THE CARGO DOOR BY UNITED
AIRLINES, AND A LACK OF TIMELY CORRECTIVE ACTIONS BY BOEING AND THE FAA
FOLLOWING A PREVIOUS DOOR OPENING INCIDENT.
Mr. Francis. The reasonable cause of the TWA crash is the inadvertent opening
of the forward cargo door. That is the mechanical cause that must be ruled
out. Compare to United Flight 811 of Feb 1989.
Thank you the attached photo of UAL 811 from accident report will show that
a 747 with that gaping hole in side at 400 knots can certainly tear the
nose off.
http://www.corazon.com/TWA800PA103UA811.html is my website for cargo door
crash theory.
thank you for replying to my several emails asking to rule out inadvertent
opening of the forward cargo door as the cause of TWA 800 and assuring me
that you are checking that.
An analogy is that of the several victims, one came back (UAL flight 811)
and was able to show what happened. The other victims were Pan Am 103, TWA
800, and maybe Air India and South African Airways.
Comparing 103, 800, and 811 will reveal remarkable similarties in time of
destruction, place of initial damage, recorder sounds, engine fodding patterns,
radar anomalies just before destruction, and sequence of fuselage destruction;
all in Boeing 747-121 aircraft. Too much coincidence for homemade bombs
placed randomly in cargo compartments. Perfectly understandable for reproducible
mechanical problems with system that has history of inadvertent malfunctionings.
(The United 811 was an excellent accident report, far superior to UK Pan
AM 103 which has serious omissions.)
"Investigators also said that a cargo door, presumably the front one,
had been found significantly closer to Kennedy International Airport, where
the flight originated, than almost all of the other parts located so far."
The cargo door came off first. It came off first because it was inadvertently
opened. It was opened by the same causes as Flight 811, and Flight 103 and
maybe others.
Compare 800 to 811 in all aspects. Have you matched the tape sounds? The
thump of 811 is the thump of 800 and 103.
http://www.corazon.com/barryhome.html is my web site for cargo door cause.
Have you informed Mr Francis of the similarities between 811 and 800? It
appears the independent NTSB has rebuffed the politically driven FBI from
declaring bomb and directing the investigation; for the first time I have
read about aging aircraft and mechanical malfunction. They are looking into
a Section 41 overhaul. Fine. Why is there no mention of the obvious possible
mechanical malufunction of an opening cargo door which tears a gash in the
side of plane; then air wind force blows off nose? Show them the pictures
of 811 on the ground with hugh hole in side by cargo door. Play tape of
811 playing thump. Door was seen as streak on 800 and was picked up on radar
as anomaly blip. Check the 800 door for latch condition, open or closed.
It's all there. It's all there and just needs to be put together. My web
site on the cargo door causes of several 747's is at http://www.corazon.com/barryhome.html
It is getting increased hits every day and is generating email from Europe.
It was mentioned on radio show in New York. The cat is out of the bag.
My web site on the crashes of TWA 800, Pan Am 103, UAL 811 and others is
up and operating at http://www.corazon.com/barryhome.html after major revision.
It is quite extensive and quotes extensively from the accident report of
Pan Am 103 and your UAL 811. It is quite clear that the cargo door is the
culprit in all three cases. Please review the site and give opinion. I must
know that the NTSB and other government authorities are on the right trail.
Please refer me to any other appropriate government agency that might assist
in declaring a problem with these cargo doors on early 747s. They fly as
we speak. They must be fixed. Let us confirm there is a link between the
government and its informed citizens. I am not asssured that the NTSB is
checking that (cargo door openings). Please reassure me
Webmaster-Please refer me to the appropriate official dealing with the TWA
800 crash. My web site at http://www.corazon.com/barryhome.html deals extensively
with the matter. You referred me to who has not returned my emails for a
week and may be on vacation. I have important information to pass on regarding
this tragic accident. The cause is a cargo door and the dangerous condition
continues to exist. The NTSB appears ignorant in the possibility of mechanical
cause of an inadvertent cargo door opening causing the nose of 747 to come
off and may miss or destroy evidence confirming that cause. Let us assume
there is still a link between an informed caring citizen and a responsive
government agency responsible for lives. email barry@corazon.com
Flight Summaries of Three Flights:
TWA Flight 800, UAL Flight 811, Pan Am Flight 103
#
#
(From news sources:)
TWA Flight 800 was a scheduled passenger flight from New York to Paris.The
flight was uneventful until after departure from New York. While climbing
through 13,500 feet an event occurred which tore the nose off the aircraft.
The nose fell into the sea. The rest of the aircraft continued on descending
until approximately 9,500 feet where it exploded into a fireball and dropped
into the sea. There were two wreckage trails. Luggage from front cargo hold
was found nearest event site. A streak was seen near the aircraft just before
destruction. A strange radar blip was seen before destruction falling with
the aircraft. There were no calls from the crew to the ground. There were
no survivors. Flight data recorders revealed a loud sound and then all recording
ceased. No evidence of a bomb has been found on recovered wreckage. Front
cargo door found in pieces. The aircraft was a Boeing 747-131, an early
747 with high flight time and flight cycles.
#
Explanations for TWA Flight 800: Boeing 747-131 series high flight time
aircraft are prone to cargo door malfunctions. Doors pop open in climb or
just after. Door popping open exposes large hole in side of nose. Large
hole in side of nose can tear nose off when subjected to high air pressure
loads. Nose tearing off leaves rest of plane to crash resulting in two wreckage
trails. Nose tearing off is sudden and total and leaves no time for calls
to ground from crew or for recorder data to continue. Door opening and tearing
off would be visible as streak as it reflects evening sun at 13500 feet
near New York City on July 17th. Cargo door would be picked up as radar
return as it spun away from aircraft. Contents from front baggage compartment
would be first to leave plane after door and be found closest to event site.
Door opened inadvertently because of various reasons consistent with other
confirmed, documented, and witnessed cargo door openings such as design
error, improper latching, electrical problems, wear and tear, or other unknown
reason.
#
#
(From UAL Flight 811 Accident Report NTSB)
UAL Flight 811 was a scheduled passenger flight from Los Angeles to Sydney,
Australia, with stops in Honolulu, Hi and Auckland, New Zealand. The flight
was uneventful until after departure from Honolulu. While climbing from
FL220 to FL230 the crew heard a "Thump" followed by an explosion.
An explosive decompression was experienced and the #3 and #4 engines were
shutdown because of FOD. The FLT returned to Honolulu and passengers were
evacuated. Inspection revealed the forward lower lobe cargo door departed
inflight causing extensive damage to the fuselage and cabin adjacent to
the door. Investigation centered around design and certification of the
door which allowed it to be improperly latched, and the operation and maintenance
to assure airworthiness of the door and latching mechanism.
Additional information extracted from report: Front cargo door found in
two pieces. Crew erroneously reported bomb onboard to tower after hearing
explosion. Radar tracked door down to ocean contact. Recorders played loud
bang/sound then silence. Nine passengers were ejected and lost at sea. The
aircraft was a Boeing 747-122, an early 747 with high flight time and flight
cycles.
#
Explanations for UAL Flight 811: Boeing 747-122 series high flight time
aircraft are prone to cargo door malfunctions. Doors pop open in climb or
just after. Door popping open exposes large hole in side of nose. Large
hole in side of nose can tear nose off depending of variables such as angle
of attack, airspeed, turbulence and strength of fuselage. Cargo door would
be picked up as radar return as it spun away from aircraft. Door opened
inadvertently because of various reasons consistent with other confirmed,
documented, and witnessed cargo door openings such as design error, improper
latching, electrical problems, wear and tear, or other unknown reason.
#
#
(From Pan Am Flight 103 Accident Report Dept or Transport)
Pan Am Flight 103 was a scheduled passenger flight from London to New York.
The flight was uneventful until seven minutes after leveling off after climb.
While level at FL310 an event occurred which tore the nose off the aircraft.
The nose fell to the ground. The rest of the aircraft continued on descending
and crashing into the town of Lockerbie. There were two wreckage trails.
Luggage from front cargo hold was found nearest event site. A strange radar
blip was seen before destruction. There were no calls from the crew to the
ground. There were no survivors. Flight data recorders revealed a loud sound
and then all recording ceased.
Additional information extracted from report: Front cargo door found in
two pieces. Reconstruction shows cargo door area in first sequence of destruction.
Eight passengers missing and not accounted for. The aircraft was a Boeing
747-121, an early 747 with high flight time and flight cycles.
#
Explanations for Pan Am Flight 103: Boeing 747-121 series high flight time
aircraft are prone to cargo door malfunctions. Doors pop open in climb or
just after. Door popping open exposes large hole in side of nose. Large
hole in side of nose can tear nose off when subjected to high air pressure
loads. Nose tearing off leaves rest of plane to crash resulting in two wreckage
trails. Nose tearing off is sudden and total and leaves no time for calls
to ground from crew or for recorder data to continue. Cargo door would be
picked up as radar return as it spun away from aircraft. Contents from front
baggage compartment would be first to leave plane after door and be found
closest to event site. Door opened inadvertently because of various reasons
consistent with other confirmed, documented, and witnessed cargo door openings
such as design error, improper latching, electrical problems, wear and tear,
or other unknown reason.
#
#
Summary of the Summaries: Three early Boeing 747-100 series high flight
time, high cycles aircraft with history of front cargo door malfunctions,
while climbing after takeoff or shortly thereafter, experience an event
which tears a large hole in each right side of each nose at forward cargo
door area. Three aircraft later exhibit destruction pattern starting at
forward lower lobe cargo door. Three aircraft had flight data recorders
record a thump/bang/loud sound, then silence. Three aircraft had radar blips
recorded leaving aircraft. Three aircraft deposit front cargo doors in two
or more pieces. Two noses are torn off which leaves two aircraft to crash
leaving two wreckage trails. Two nearest trails have contents of front baggage
compartment indicating contents left first. Two aircraft had no calls from
crew to ground. Two aircraft had no survivors. Two aircraft, possibly three,
had under ten passengers not accounted for. One aircraft erroneously reports
a bomb explosion on board but lands safely allowing investigation to reveal
cause of inflight explosion to be inadvertent opening of forward lower lobe
cargo door due to design error, improper maintenance, and a faulty switch
or wiring in the door control system.
#
#Comment: All statements above supported by documentation. All explained
by an inadvertent opening of the forward cargo door in flight. Happened
before, happened now; hope it doesn't happen again.
#8 Aug another frustrating day, I don't know how long I can hold out, rational
thought running thin, reasonable explanations rejected, the planes of truth
fly overhead but do not see. Today it was fuel tanks in center with fuel
leak. The NTSB is all around from wings, to center tanks to cockpit, it's
as if they avoiding the cargo door. Is it so unreasonable to assume that
a door opens once in a while when it shouldn't? Happens to all of us with
car doors, or trunks. And then to think, hmmm, big hole in side of nose
at 300 knots, that's not good. Maybe tear nose off. Better check out cargo
door. Like checking to see if latches on found door of 800 are open position
which means lock sectors locked but cams open, there's the problem. Looks
locked but isn't. Doors on this model 747 have opened so often they wrote
an Airworthiness Directive, a serious thing. If ADs are not complied with
completely the plane is grounded. Cargo door is obvious culprit not freak
occurrence. All 747-100 series aircraft must be grounded and cargo doors
welded shut until further notice. If it happens again, as it did just two
months after PA103, a charge of negligence can be leveled at government
authorities. It's not like they don't know. They have been emailed by me
often and their own accident reports have similar events. It is very humbling
to be ignored when presenting important great truth to responsible officials.
Did an hour radio show with Robert Knight of WBAI last night. At least the
frustration and anger are ameliorated by doing something, like talking about
it to interested parties. He told me about 8 year old girl that died in
crash of 800. Great. Now I see spinning girl waving arms falling two miles
to ocean, maybe not screaming. I've got a call in to my former pilot from
Vietnam seeking advice. Plus I'm fighting a cold. Plus my web site is incoherent
and unpersuasive. If I told a mathematician two and two is four, he would
say, hmmm, I don't know, let me get back to you on that. I sent an email
to NTSB repeating the word cargo door fifty times, maybe insult will get
their attention. Responsive government agency to an informed citizenry,
hah.
OK, enough self pity. Things that need to be done by NTSB: 1. check found
door latch cams for open or closed position. 2. Compare recorder tape endings
to Flight 103, 811, Air India two crashes and SAA crash for similar thump/sound/bang
for acoustical similarities.3. Check radar tapes for similarity for radar
blips leaving 103, 811, and 800 just prior to event. 4. Check EPR tapes
for telltale blip of baggage fodding number three engine. 5. Interview baggage
service persons who closed door on 800 which was running late to see if
they followed procedure. 6. Confirm missing persons of 800 sat over cargo
door and are missing just like 811 and 103. 7. Match wreckage trails to
103. 8. Check CAS of 800 to see if it matches CAS of 300 knots for event
of 103 and 811. 9. Check angle of sun at 835PM on July 17th to see if metal
spinning object the size of a car would be seen on ground as streak. 10.
Check latch cams on cargo door of Pan Am 103. 11. Ground all 747 100 series
aircraft and weld cargo door shut until further notice.
Cargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo
DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo
DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo
DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo
DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo DoorCargo
DoorCargo Door
uh, cargo door, cause of crashes TWA 800 when it opens in flight and tears
gash which cuts off nose.
The paper said today that crash officials are appealing for public help.
Here I am, http://www.corazon.com/barryhome.html giving documentation for
cargo door opening as cause of TWA crash. I am retired military officer
with address, phone web site, and email address. The site documents rational
explanation for cause of crash. Please respond.
There are three cargo doors on TWA 800, which one are you talking about.
The front cargo door is reported to be in pieces, your sentence above implies
one piece which would means other than front cargo door checked.
The lock sectors are locked, but the cams are unlocked. You do not mention
cams.
What are the positions of the cam locks of the forward cargo door?
Comment: Informed citizen responding to public appeals for help from
the NTSB
Contents
barry@corazon.com