Requisite Conspiricay Post, Given the Anniversary
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Apparently, this past summer an “original documentary” aired somewhere in the depths of cable pushing a TWA 800 conspiracy, and this article critiques this “three missile theory”. Conspiracy theories, by their nature, can be comforting to those who need to make sense of the world and seemingly irrational, random events. However, the overwhelming majority simply boggle the mind — to believe, you much conduct a very careful selection of the evidence to fit the theory while disregarding any evidence that supports the null hypothesis, and you have to have faith that of the sheer number of people involved in the conspiracy, not one credible source stepped forward and provided any evidence bringing it out into the open.
Ever since TWA 800, I’ve used it as an illustration of the iron triangle in American politics (dating back to when I taught policy for one quarter while a grad student in Seattle). Ultimately, what near certainly brought that 747 down was its age. Wiring associated with the fuel gauge for the main center fuel tank had frayed to the point where a short circuit occurred, thus igniting the center fuel tank. If I recall correctly (and correct me if I’m wrong), this problem was known to Boeing, the airlines, and the FAA, but as it was considered a minimal risk, it was not acted upon with haste. While five months following TWA 800, the NTSB issued a series of recommendations on this issue (as they do), the Department of Transportation only finally got around to acting on it 2008. Furthermore, if Wikipedia is to be believed, the Civil Aeronautics Board issued a similar recommendation in December 1963 following the crash of Pan Am 214 (a Boeing 707). (Ironically, as one who is technically afraid of flying, I have an encyclopedic knowledge of airline disasters. It won’t be comforting me as I fly to the US again in a little over three weeks. Airport bars, on the other hand, will.)
If there’s a conspiracy here, it’s the iron triangle in American governance, not a three missile theory.
Speaking of the anniversary in question, back in university, I was fascinated by that particular case, and bought every book I could get my hands on, including the Warren Report itself.
