Ten days of flight tests have bolstered the theory that a mechanical malfunction brought down TWA Flight 800, though what triggered it still remains a mystery to investigators.
Many more tests aimed at pinpointing the cause of the blast were scheduled for the next six months, Bernard Loeb, director of aviation safety for the National Transportation Safety Board, said Thursday.Tests conducted on a Boeing 747 on Long Island last month, along with tests in England in which explosives were set off, supported the theory that a mechanical malfunction doomed the plane, investigators said.
However, authorities have not ruled out a missile or a bomb as possible causes of the July 17, 1996 explosion, which killed all 230 people aboard.