PB2000-910403 NTSB/AAR-00/03 DCA96MA070 NATIONAL ...

PB2000-910403

NTSB/AAR-00/03

DCA96MA070

NATIONAL

TRANSPORTATION

SAFETY BOARD

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20594

AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT

In-flight Breakup Over the Atlantic Ocean

Trans World Airlines Flight 800

Boeing 747-131, N93119

Near East Moriches, New York

July 17, 1996

6788G

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Aircraft Accident Report

In-flight Breakup Over The Atlantic Ocean

Trans World Airlines Flight 800

Boeing 747-131, N93119

Near East Moriches, New York

July 17, 1996

NTSB/AAR-00/03

DCA96MA070

PB2000-910403

Notation 6788G

Adopted August 23, 2000

National Transportation Safety Board

490 L¡¯Enfant Plaza, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20594

National Transportation Safety Board. 2000. In-flight Breakup Over The Atlantic Ocean, Trans World

Airlines Flight 800, Boeing 747-131, N93119, Near East Moriches, New York, July 17, 1996. Aircraft

Accident Report NTSB/AAR-00/03. Washington, DC.

Abstract: This report explains the accident involving Trans World Airlines, Inc. flight 800, which

experienced an in-flight breakup and then crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York,

on July 17, 1996. Safety issues in the report focus on fuel tank flammability, fuel tank ignition sources,

design and certification standards, and the maintenance and aging of aircraft systems. Safety

recommendations concerning these issues are addressed to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent Federal agency dedicated to promoting aviation, railroad, highway, marine,

pipeline, and hazardous materials safety. Established in 1967, the agency is mandated by Congress through the Independent Safety Board

Act of 1974 to investigate transportation accidents, determine the probable causes of the accidents, issue safety recommendations, study

transportation safety issues, and evaluate the safety effectiveness of government agencies involved in transportation. The Safety Board

makes public its actions and decisions through accident reports, safety studies, special investigation reports, safety recommendations, and

statistical reviews.

Recent publications are available in their entirety on the Web at . Other information about available publications also

may be obtained from the Web site or by contacting:

National Transportation Safety Board

Public Inquiries Section, RE-51

490 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20594

(800) 877-6799 or (202) 314-6551

Safety Board publications may be purchased, by individual copy or by subscription, from the National Technical Information Service. To

purchase this publication, order report number PB2000-910403 from:

National Technical Information Service

5285 Port Royal Road

Springfield, Virginia 22161

(800) 553-6847 or (703) 605-6000

The Independent Safety Board Act, as codified at 49 U.S.C. Section 1154(b), precludes the admission into evidence or use of Board reports

related to an incident or accident in a civil action for damages resulting from a matter mentioned in the report.

iii

Aircraft Accident Report

Contents

Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvi

1. Factual Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.1 History of Flight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.2 Injuries to Persons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1.3 Damage to Aircraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1.4 Other Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1.5 Personnel Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1.5.1 The Captain (Left Front Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1.5.2 The Captain/Check Airman (Right Front Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

1.5.3 The Flight Engineer (Right Aft/Flight Engineer¡¯s Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

1.5.4 The Flight Engineer/Check Airman (Left Aft/Cockpit Jump Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

1.6 Airplane Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

1.6.1

Boeing 747¡ªGeneral Description/Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

1.6.1.1 747-100 Wing Center Section and Center Wing Fuel Tank Description . . . . . . 12

1.6.1.2 747-100 Air Conditioning Equipment Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

1.6.1.3 747-100 Electrical and Wiring Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

1.6.1.3.1 747-100 Electrical Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

1.6.1.3.2 747 Wiring Information¡ªGeneral and Specific to Accident Airplane . . . . . 22

1.6.1.3.3 Separation of 747 Wire Circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

1.6.2 747-100 Fuel System Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

1.6.2.1 Fuel Quantity Indication System Components and Wiring Information. . . . . . . 31

1.6.2.2 747-100 Fuel Pump System Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

1.6.2.3 747-100 Fuel Flow Indication Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

1.6.2.4 TWA Flight 800 Fueling Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

1.6.3 Maintenance Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

1.6.3.1 TWA¡¯s 747 Maintenance Inspection Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

1.6.3.1.1 TWA¡¯s General Inspection Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

1.6.3.1.2 TWA and Boeing Wiring Inspection Guidance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

1.6.3.2 Accident Airplane¡¯s Maintenance Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

1.6.3.2.1 Airworthiness Directives and Service Bulletins Applicable

to 747 Fuel Pumps and Related Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

1.6.3.2.2 Airworthiness Directives and Service Bulletins Applicable

to 747 Structural Inspections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

1.6.3.2.3 Maintenance Accomplished Near Fuel Quantity Indication System

Wiring in the Accident Airplane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

1.6.3.2.4 TWA Flight 800 Predeparture Maintenance Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

1.7 Meteorological Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

1.8 Aids to Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

1.9 Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

1.10 Airport Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

1.11 Flight Recorders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

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