# TWA 800 coverup confirmed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 19, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324 "2013-06-19T02:54:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/1 "2013-06-19T02:54:53Z")
This is certainly interesting. [A group of alleged whistleblowers](http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/06/18/twa-flight-800-investigators-break-silence-in-new-documentary-claim-original/) are saying that the official report on the TWA 800 crash is a lie. Apparently, they stop _just_ short of saying the plane was shot down, claiming that they know it was an “ordinance explosion” that brought down the plane. One of the major conspiracy theories about the crash is that the plane was accidentally shot down by the US Navy, presumably due to some sort of criminally irresponsible screwup. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/2 "2013-06-19T03:01:43Z")
It sounds to me like a group of conspiracy theorists cobbled together enough money to make a documentary. Perhaps we’ll know more after they “elaborate more in a Wednesday media briefing.” But I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/3 "2013-06-19T03:38:15Z")
And it was covered up because…? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/4 "2013-06-19T03:54:58Z")
Previous thread: > **[Anybody up for a TWA 800 discussion?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=511878)** > > I tried several different searches, but came up with next to nothing. I’m sure the discussion has happened before, and it cropped up in the recent “Are All Conspiracy Theories Debunkable” thread, which I didn’t want to hijack. If anyone has... It does not look good for the conspiracy proponents, after a quick review, one big problem for the conspiracy proponents was the lack of radar data confirming what they claimed, AFAIK the radar data was not as definitive as the CTs claimed it was; so, they claim now that they have new radar data, we’ll see. But IIRC any of the suspicious traces (3 traces, and one was likely a medicine for one of the victims) found does not match the location of a missile hitting the central tank, And those traces of possible explosive materials did not match the composition of the missiles that could had been launched then. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/5 "2013-06-19T05:38:38Z")
Leave it to Fox News to foment conspiracy theories — and not to know the difference between ordinance and ordnance. > [@](#): > > “They also provide radar and forensic evidence proving that one or more ordinance explosions outside the aircraft caused the crash.” ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/6 "2013-06-19T05:47:20Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > Leave it to Fox News to foment conspiracy theories — and not to know the difference between ordinance and ordnance. Obviously, TWA 800 had Obama’s Kenyan birth certificate onboard. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/7 "2013-06-19T06:40:48Z")
Wasn’t TWA 800 sent through a time warp in 1996 by the government so it could be used as missile to crash into the WTC on 9/11? I don’t know… I’m just asking questions. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/8 "2013-06-19T07:52:28Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Wasn’t TWA 800 sent through a time warp in 1996 by the government so it could be used as missile to crash into the WTC on 9/11? > > I don’t know… I’m just asking questions. Not the weirdest 9/11 ‘theory’ I’ve heard from the truthers. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/9 "2013-06-19T08:19:49Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > And it was covered up because…? If it _had_ been shot down, it would have been horribly embarrassing for _someone,_ I’m sure. That’s more than enough motivation for someone to try to cover it up. Although I’m sure the conspiracy theorists have a more…_interesting_ explanation than the cover-up of a screw-up. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/10 "2013-06-19T09:52:36Z")
Wait a minute… I know they have good evidence that the plane was actually hit by the _second_ shooter… (You know, the one on the grassy knoll…) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/11 "2013-06-19T14:08:51Z")
Somehow, I’m hoping Jimmy Hoffa’s body will be involved… ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/12 "2013-06-19T14:15:55Z")
> [@Wilson](#): > > Somehow, I’m hoping Jimmy Hoffa’s body will be involved… He was known for having a horrible temper. Maybe he went ballistic. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/13 "2013-06-19T15:24:02Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > Not the weirdest 9/11 ‘theory’ I’ve heard from the truthers. Come on, don’t leave us hanging. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/14 "2013-06-19T16:18:36Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > If it _had_ been shot down, it would have been horribly embarrassing for _someone,_ I’m sure. That’s more than enough motivation for someone to try to cover it up. Although I’m sure the conspiracy theorists have a more…_interesting_ explanation than the cover-up of a screw-up. Assuming there is a coverup, it’s probably because somebody made an Epic Fuckup[sup]TM[/sup]. Probably not unlike that incident in the 1980’s when the US Navy shot down an Iranian passenger jet. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/15 "2013-06-19T16:28:39Z")
No, it’s not _confirmed_. I appreciate the OP using the term “alleged whistleblowers” while the article jumps straight to calling them whistleblowers without regard for what that word actually freaking means. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/16 "2013-06-19T16:33:40Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > No, it’s not _confirmed_. I appreciate the OP using the term “alleged whistleblowers” while the article jumps straight to calling them whistleblowers without regard for what that word actually freaking means. Well, to be fair, any lunatic in the crowd can blow a whistle. That doesn’t mean the players have to take notice of him though. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/17 "2013-06-19T16:41:35Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Assuming there is a coverup, it’s probably because somebody made an Epic Fuckup[sup]TM[/sup]. Probably not unlike that incident in the 1980’s when the US Navy shot down an Iranian passenger jet. Yeah, we totally covered that up. That’s why nobody knows about it. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/18 "2013-06-19T16:56:36Z")
The article mentions “A group of whistle-blowers, including a number of aviation experts” So who are the “whistle-blowers” who are **not** aviation experts? Janitors at the NTSB? Secretaries who didn’t get their scheduled pay raises? Guys who hang out in Internet conspiracy forums? I’m sure lots of devastating “proof” of a coverup is in the offing. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/19 "2013-06-19T17:50:54Z")
It takes \*so \*little knowledge, even if only \*seems \*like knowledge to you, to tell yourself you’re an “expert” on something. And yet most of this group doesn’t meet that standard … **jetblast** , where are you these days? ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324/20 "2013-06-19T17:52:25Z")
Just curious… how would you define a whistleblower that would compel you to say, yeah, maybe he’s right? I mean, every bit of information comes via official, one way or another, Government source. It seems a whistleblower is expected to have a proof that can withstand court proceeding scrutiny but Government version only requires a certain government official title to make it true. Since average person cannot know he/she believes the Government version at word. So, the question is, why such a high bar for a whistleblower? Darn it, Government moved to dig freakin’ Hoffa based on a tip of a lowest common denominator credibility yet, when important stuff like this gets reported, everyone jumps over each other to sh!t on an “alleged’ whistleblower(s). No benefit of a doubt? What gives? Stakes too high? Governmnet is infallible? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twa-800-coverup-confirmed/661324.md?page=2)