TWA engines remain underwater until more bodies recovered

British experts to help analyze black boxes

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two Boeing 747 engines found on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean could hold valuable clues to the cause of the crash of TWA Flight 800, but divers will search for more bodies before bringing the engines to the surface.

Two of the plane's four engines were found early Friday. Robert Francis, vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, called the discovery "extraordinarily important."

Examination of the engines may be the best evidence, Francis said. But he said he did not know when the 7,000-9,000-pound engines would see the light of day, because recovering bodies of the victims is the first priority.

However, CNN was told that FBI officials expect to bring significant pieces of the plane out of the water by Sunday afternoon.

Investigators will try to determine if the engines had a power failure or if there was an explosion in the engines that could have caused the Paris-bound jet to crash July 17, killing all 230 people aboard.

Experts said the juxtaposition of the engines -- whether they are located close together or scattered -- can help point to a crash cause.

Loud noise unexplained

Meanwhile, Francis also reported Friday that an audio tape from the cockpit voice recorder ends with "a loud, abrupt noise." Francis said nothing unusual preceded the noise on tape. Investigators are convinced there was a "catastrophic explosion" on the plane before it went down.

Sound experts were on their way from Britain to help analyze the noise, he said. Investigators may benefit from their experience investigating the Pan Am 103 crash over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, which was blamed on a bomb.

As for the flight data recorder, which tracks mechanical functions of the plane such as speed and altitude, Francis said, "All recovered data ends abruptly with no anomalies."

Both recordings ended at the same time "within a fraction of a second," Francis said.

Nothing ruled out

Despite the noise, Jim Kallstrom, assistant director of the FBI, told reporters Friday he is not ready to conclude that the explosion was caused by a bomb, although that is one of three primary theories investigators are examining. (514K AIFF or WAV sound)

He said his team has not ruled out the possibility that a missile or some external object hit the plane or that there was a massive mechanical failure. He said several witnesses reported seeing an object ascending in the sky before the crash, but did not elaborate. (450K AIFF or WAV sound)

There is circumstantial evidence to support all three theories, but forensic evidence is needed before a crash cause can be determined.(619K AIFF or WAV sound)

"We're going to solve this accident," Francis said. "There is evidence down there that's going to tell us what happened to this aircraft."

Families get more bodies

So far, 140 bodies have been recovered. Of those bodies, 131 have been positively identified, with 128 families notified and 109 bodies released to relatives, Francis said. Three other bodies have been tentatively identified.

Divers such as Andrew Gliganic said what they see underwater is so disturbing that they need to talk to a psychologist when they surface.

Also Friday, federal officials said they had set up a "family information center" to make sure relatives receive prompt information on the investigation and the recovery of bodies.

Kallstrom reported Friday that debris that may be linked to the crash is washing ashore on Coney Island. He warned anyone finding such debris to leave it alone and contact police.

He again asked anyone with information about the crash to call the FBI's toll-free hot-line.

FBI Director Louis Freeh met with federal investigators in New York Friday to discuss strategy, according to Kallstrom who dismissed speculation that the meeting was a sign the FBI was getting ready to take charge of the crash investigation.

The FBI has said it would take over the probe from the NTSB if it was determined that the crash was caused by a criminal act.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CNN-Time Magazine Special TWA Flight 800 Sunday, July 28, 9p.m. EDT/6 p.m. PDT

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