A THEORY GONE TO THE DOGS

THE TWA FOCUS LOOKS ELSEWHERE AS THE BOMB ANGLE IS SHORT-CIRCUITED BY A STARTLING REVELATION

Ever since TWA Flight 800 exploded in midair on July 17, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the FBI have been scrambling to determine what caused the Boeing 747 jumbo jet to plunge into the Atlantic, killing all 230 people on board. From the beginning, the theories--a missile, an exploding fuel tank, a mechanical failure or possibly even a meteorite strike--seemed almost as confusing as the jumbled pieces of the plane. And then a set of tantalizing clues emerged. Investigators discovered that several pieces of recovered wreckage bore minute traces of chemical explosives. That evidence provided the strongest support...

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