PUBLIC HEARING - Status of the Investigation

On July 17, 1996, at approximately 8:30 p.m., TWA flight 800, a Boeing 747-100 that had taken off 14 minutes earlier from New York's John F. Kennedy Airport on its way to Paris, exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 230 passengers and crew aboard.

Since that night, the Safety Board has led the largest transportation accident investigation in the nation's history. More than 95 percent of the aircraft was retrieved from the ocean floor and a 94-foot-long reconstruction of a large portion of the fuselage was completed in Calverton, New York.

The public hearing December 8-12, 1997 is a fact-finding event - no determination of cause will be rendered. Safety Board investigators are presenting reports on the progress of the investigation, and a number of technical witnesses are likely to provide testimony on safety issues that have arisen during the course of the investigation. Please see the daily schedule and exhibit items for more complete information.

The accident synopsis (NTSB number DCA96MA070) is available on the Web site , and will be updated at the conclusion of the investigation. The final report will be posted with other publications on the NTSB web site as soon as it's available.

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