Content area
Full Text
Last week the FAA released the air traffic control tape of the TWA Flight 800 disaster in July, 1996, near East Moriches, NY. Last December a transcript of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) was released by the NTSB. We have spliced the two together, presenting here the final moments in the cockpit and the immediate reactions of other aircrews who witnessed the event.
* 20:29:15 Captain Ralph Kevorkian: Look at that crazy fuel flow indicator there on number four.
* 20:29:23 Captain Kevorkian: See that?
* 20:29:35 Captain Kevorkian: Somewhere in here I better trim this thing (in/up)
* 20:29:39 First Officer Steven Snyder: Huh?
* 20:29:39 Captain Kevorkian: Someplace in here I better find out where this thing's trimmed.
* 20:30:15 Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center {BOS Center}: TWA eight hundred, climb and maintain one five thousand
* 20:30:19 First Officer Snyder: TWAs eight hundred heavy, climb and maintain one five thousand, leaving one three thousand
* 20:30:24 Captain Kevorkian: Ollie....
* 20:30:24 Second Officer Oliver Krick: Huh...
* 20:30:25 Captain Kevorkian: Climb thrust
* 20:30:28 Captain Kevorkian: Climb to one five thousand
* 20:30:35 Second Officer Krick: Power's set
* 20:30:42 (Sound similar to a mechanical movement in cockpit)
* 20:31:05 (Sounds similar to tape damage noise)
* 20:31:12 End of CVR, ATC tape continues.
* 20:31:50 Eastwind Airlines 507: We just saw an explosion out here; stinger bee five oh seven {call sign refers to Eastwind Airlines 507}
* 20:31:57...