Sisters and Brothers:
July 17, 2021, marks 25 years since TWA Flight 800, a 747 flying from New York to Paris with 230 passengers and crew, exploded over Long Island Sound. All onboard perished.
The loss of TWA 800, one of the worst air disasters in history, sent shockwaves through the industry, especially through the District 142 family. District 142 represented TWA’s Mechanics, Ramp Service and Customer Service personnel at the time of the accident in 1996, and later represented TWA Flight Attendants. Of the 230 people onboard, there were four working cockpit crew and fourteen working flight attendants, as well as dead-heading crew and non-rev families.
The disaster led to much speculation regarding the cause of the crash. After a 4-year investigation the National Transportation Safety Board ultimately concluded there was an explosion of the center wing fuel tank, resulting from ignition of the flammable fuel/air mixture in the tank. The source of ignition for the explosion could not be determined with certainty. TWA 800 is a reminder that we work in a challenging industry. Even when no mistakes are made, air travel has its risks.
It was just recently announced that the wreckage from TWA 800, which had been reassembled in a hangar in Virginia, will be scanned into a 3-D model before it is dismantled and destroyed. The permanent TWA Flight 800 Memorial operated by the National Parks Service is located at New York Suffolk County’s Smith Point County Park.
On this 25th anniversary of that tragic event, your District Lodge 142 Executive Board remembers all the lives lost. We will always keep them in our minds and our hearts. We send love and compassion to the victim’s families and pray that nobody ever struggles with such a tragedy again.
We often hear the phrase “Never Forget”. For those who worked for TWA at the time, and especially for the families and friends who lost loved ones that evening, forgetting has never been an option.
Sincerely and fraternally,
David Supplee
PRESIDENT-DIRECTING
GENERAL CHAIR
PLEASE POST ON ALL IAM BULLETIN BOARDS
