More than 16 years since the crash of TWA Flight 800, a new, unreleased documentary may force officials to reopen its case and examine what really happened on that fateful day.
The documentary's co-producer Tom Stalcup sat down on CNN's "New Day" on Wednesday and said that TWA Flight 800's explosion offers "solid proof that there was an external detonation."
"Of course, everyone knows about the eyewitness statements, but we also have corroborating information from the radar data, and the radar data shows a(n) asymmetric explosion coming out of that plane - something that didn't happen in the official theory," he told journalists on the show.
Stalcup went on to say "not one single eyewitness was allowed to testify" during the first investigation. Adding that people have come forward since the film's inception, "all saying the same thing: that there was an external force - not from the center wing tank, there's no evidence of that - but there is evidence of an external explosion that brought down that plane."
The makers of the film have partnered with retired investigators assigned to the original examination to start a petition asking for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to consider reopening the investigation in an effort to finally bring peace to the families of those lost that day.
In its original investigation the NTSB concluded the explosion was caused by an electrical short circuit originating somewhere within the plane, most likely along the fuel gauge line, which eventually made its way into the center fuel wing tank.
The NTSB released a statement obtained by CNN, stating they were fully aware of the documentary's release, and the intent of Stalcup and his producers to catalyze a reopening of the case.
"As required by NTSB regulation, a petition for reconsideration of board findings... must be based on the discovery of new evidence or on a showing that the board's findings are erroneous," NTSB spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said in a statement. "At this point, the NTSB has not received a petition, however, we stand ready to review one, should it be filed."
The documentaries entitled "TWA Flight 800" will premier July 17, the 17th anniversary of the explosion.
