Apples to Oranges. The Iran Air thing was unintentional, but it was not an accident. The ship was in a war zone and the decision maker (the Captain) made a deliberate call to shoot based on the info he was getting. This was substantiated in the investigation. We didn't try to cover it up. A major mitigating factor for the Captain was the war-zone environment which puts the Captain between his duty to safeguard his vessel and crew and his duty to not harm others unnecessarily. The Iranians created the hostile environment with their warlike activities in the maritime environment and then flew an airliner through it. Whether you find it acceptable or not is totally irrelevant.

Why would a US warship fire a missile off of Long Island? There's no threat and that's not a missile test range. Unlike what you see in the movies, you can't just accidentally lean your elbow on the BIG RED MISSILE LAUNCH BUTTON and start WW-III.

If you think the navy shot down TWA 800 you need to shred your medical and check yourself in for treatment as well.

 

The plane was at 14,000 feet and climbing. Doesn't seem consistent with an
attacking aircraft that one would expect is probably trying to stay "under the radar."

After realizing a civilian airliner is shot down, I suspect any perceived Iranian
hostilities may become more fungible. It took several decades to find out the
USS Maddox wasn't really attacked by the Vietnamese in the Gulf of Tonkin which resulted in an unpopular war.

I don't know what happened but it appears a new investigation is warranted by an unbias 3rd party with subpoena power.

.

 

Monday AM QB. The Captain was told the aircraft was descending, and acted accordingly. The crewman who told him apparently misread the radar due a data display anomaly. The ship's IFF (recorded by the ship's computer) also identified it as military, this was likely signal confusion with Iranian fighters operating near the departure airport. The ship was in a hot gun battle with Iranian warships...instigated by Iran. Maybe they shouldn't have started a shootout and then flow an airliner through a firefight. No fault of the pilots, I'm sure they weren't told.

Maybe the fault was that the technology wasn't perfect? The ship was designed for very fast-paced battle against the soviets in the open ocean, it was being employed somewhat out of it's comfort zone at the time.


Iranian hostilities are legion...they are imbedded in the culture to a degree, and the flames are constantly fanned by the islamic regime. They hate, in no particular order, Israel, the US, the arab states, and Sunni muslims. There is some legit basis for their dislike of the west, specifically the joint UK/US manipulation of their internal affairs WRT to the Shah. But that doesn't give them the right to close the strait of Hormuz and destroy the global economy.


If it's warranted it will probably happen.

 

Or the Navy was shooting that night is possible...if they did they would rather talk about terrorists than the US Navy screwing up

 

Boeing did have to put a fuel inerting system into the 747-8. All new design aircraft have to have an inerting fuel system.

FAA Press Release in 2008 requiring fuel inerting systems

 

How is that possible? The Navy doesn't shoot missiles off of Long Island. The Navy doesn't shoot missiles ANYWHERE where the range of the missile plus a safety factor could create a safety hazard to anybody (unless there's a war on).

 

Missed the sarcasm you did.

 

I spoke about this thread and the TWA 800 crash with my FO today. He had something interesting to say. I'm not saying I believe it but this is what he said.

He has a mortgage broker that was in the Navy and on a ship off Long Island the night of the incident. The broker said, at the time, the Navy routinely shot inert practice missiles off the coast of Long Island and he said he thinks (knows) it was an inert, radar guided missile that struck the plane.

I know, I know. I'd love to talk with the guy and ask him why he didn't come forward. Maybe he did and was shouted down. And I know plenty of former military guys that embellish stories from their time in the service. I'm just repeating what I was told. Don't shoot the messenger.

I say, time to re-open the investigation. (No need to respond Rick, we know how you feel)

 

These guys want this case reopened ?
Ok fine but under one condition and that is that they cover the FULL COST of it!
I'm sticking with the original findings.

 

Same deal with Hoffa. Say the FBI finds him. Then what? Yep he's still dead.

On another note, I unequivocally trust our government in all matters and know they are good stewards of our tax dollars. I got a lot of personal stuff done on yesterday's furlough day due to sequestration.