7. TWA Flight 800

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For those that were alive at the time, TWA 800 is probably one of the more infamous aviation disasters in memory. Departing from New York City en route to Paris on the evening of July 17, 1996, the Boeing 747 suddenly exploded over the Atlantic Ocean a mere 12 minutes after takeoff. Witnesses reported a variety of events including an explosion high in the sky and even smoke trails leading up to the aircraft causing speculation that it was downed by a missile of some sort. After a massive recovery effort and lengthy investigation, the NTSB determined that a short circuit in the plane’s wiring caused a vapor-filled fuel tank to explode. Still, many theories linger, including that the 747 was shot down by a terrorist missile or by a U.S. navy warship.