THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 25, 1996 TAG: 9607250360
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: FROM WIRE REPORTS
DATELINE: EAST MORICHES, N.Y. LENGTH: 77 lines
Navy divers searching the wreckage of TWA Flight 800 have found both black boxes, a source close to the investigation said Wednesday.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the divers were bringing the flight data and cockpit voice recorders up to the surface.
Investigators expect the black boxes - which are actually orange - to provide crucial evidence as to what caused the 747 to explode in a fireball last and plunge into the Atlantic Ocean last Wednesday.
The voice recorder picks up cockpit conversations and could indicate if the crew knew if there was a problem before the crash. The recorder measures altitude and speed, and could determine if there was a mechanical problem.
The recovery of the boxes, coming one week after the crash, represented a major breakthrough in what until now had been a recovery effort notable for what it had not found.
As each day went by with officials unable to say whether the July 17 crash that killed 230 people was caused by mechanical failure or a bomb, or to remove the scores of bodies still on the ocean floor, relatives of victims grew increasingly angry.
``This is a political thing,'' complained Michel Olivier, one of several relatives of French victims who urged the French government to send technical assistance. That offer was made, and turned down, said France's counsel in New York, Patrick Gautrat.
Meantime, three more bodies were brought ashore earlier Wednesday. Of the 230 people who were killed, 116 bodies were still missing. Of the bodies recovered, 95 have been identified by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's office.
Divers also believe they have spotted seven more bodies in the wreckage, said Robert Francis, vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Working about 100 feet down Wednesday on a sandy ocean floor that puffs up silt when stepped on, about 75 Navy divers negotiated their way through wires and cables that hang over the wreckage like a spider web.
``Large aircraft have miles and miles of wires,'' said Ray Downing, a supervisor of New York City Fire Department divers. ``If it becomes loose, it floats.'' On Tuesday, one diver had to cut himself free.
Frustrated beyond tolerance, enraged beyond the boiling point, relatives of the people lost on TWA Flight 800 lashed out at everyone Wednesday as recovery efforts lurched into a second week with little apparent progress.
Under attack: investigators, medical examiners, the news media, and, most of all, public officials who issued contradictory statements that intensified the families' pain.
The most prominent target was New York Gov. George Pataki, who said Tuesday that scores of bodies had been located. The families' hopes soared. Hours later, investigators denied the report. The hopes were crushed.
``We are not children,'' said Joe Lychner of Houston, who lost his wife and both children and has emerged as a spokesman for the families. ``We have already lost everything we could possibly lose.
``We call upon the authorities to give us accurate information. Not being able to find your loved one is just overwhelming. The No. 1 priority is finding your loved one, and we want information about them immediately.''
Responding to one of the families' demands and their anguish, the White House said President Clinton would fly to New York City today to meet them.
Flight 800 exploded in midair shortly after takeoff on July 17. The blast and crash killed all 230 people aboard the Boeing 747.
Now, a week later, no one knows what - or who - destroyed the Paris-bound jetliner. Still missing: more than half the victims. Still growing: the families' pain, frustration and anger.
``There are not enough bodies out of the water,'' Max Dadi said. ``I want my brother.''
Searchers found two more bodies Wednesday, but 117 others remained missing. Coroners have identified 89 victims. Grief counselors said the families' anguish was growing to nearly unmanageable levels.
On Wednesday night, the transportation safety board announced that it would now be the sole source of information on the crash. An NTSB official also said the families would hear from the agency before any findings are announced to the media. by CNB