TWA Flight 800 crashed after the jet's center fuel tank exploded. Investigators still aren't sure what caused the explosion

October 7, 1999
Web posted at: 9:37 p.m. EDT (0137 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A federal judge has ruled that the families of 45 French citizens who died in the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800 will be allowed to press their claims in United States courts, according to the plaintiffs' lead attorney.

Attorney Lee Kriendler said the damages that could be awarded is lower in France than in the United States. He said a federal judge has rejected a motion by TWA and Boeing to send the French plaintiffs' case to a French court.

The French families' suit is part of a larger claim against Boeing and TWA that is being handled by Kriendler. The suit charges TWA and Boeing with product liability and TWA with wilful misconduct.

TWA Flight 800 exploded in mid-air on July 17, 1996. All 230 people aboard the plane died.

The aircraft was on a New York-to-Paris trip when it exploded shortly after taking off from Kennedy Airport. Debris that cascaded into the Atlantic Ocean about 10 miles off Long Island was recovered by the Coast Guard and Navy.

While no final report has been issued on the cause of the accident, investigators say there was an explosion in the plane's empty center fuel tank. They are searching for the ignition source and expect to make a final determination before the end of the year.

Since the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration has ordered a series of safety changes on a variety of aircraft.

They include new wiring checks on older aircraft, the installation of extra wire insulation and a prohibition on draining the center fuel tanks in 747s, a practice that can cause overheating in fuel-pump bearings.

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