Re-Creating Flight 800'S Final Seconds

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By Mark Hosenball

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THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF TWA FLIGHT 800 IS NOW closed--but the conspiracy theories live on. Last week the CIA presented a video re-enactment of the plane's last 49 seconds based on infrared images captured by spy satellites. The video offers a rational rebuttal to speculation about a mystery missile. Some of the 244 witnesses interviewed by the FBI did say they saw a streak of light arcing across the sky toward what they thought was a plane moments before a giant explosion. Investigators say an initial explosion in the center fuel tank sheared off the nose of the plane, causing a sudden loss of weight to the craft, which made the back section shoot sharply upward. The bulk of the plane continued to climb as it burned, producing the streak seen by witnesses onshore. Twenty seconds after the first explosion, more fuel ignited, causing a second, larger fireball mistaken for a missile detonation.

Though chief FBI investigator James Kallstrom said the inquiry ""left no stone unturned,'' the missile issue is unlikely to go away. The CIA hasn't said why it had spy satellites designed to monitor unfriendly foreign countries pointed at the Eastern Seaboard. Sources tell NEWSWEEK the technology is used to keep tabs on Russian nuclear subs which periodically watch their American counterparts along the coast. But the CIA's involvement has already intensified talk of a government cover-up on the Internet and on talk radio--and it's likely to continue for a long time to come.

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