Warning Areas

Warning Areas - Investigation shows existence of Aviation Warning Area, but No Nautical Warning Area.  In fact, there is a major shipping channel directly under the W-105 warning area.  This undermines the friendly fire theory, which hypothesizes that ships entering this area prove there was a Navy exercise progress.
Warning Areas: Definition from the FAA & Statement by CDR. Donaldson - Much has been made about the existence or nonexistence of Navy ships in the vicinity of TWA Flight 800 at the time of the crash.  The proximity of the crash to FAA Warning Area W-105 has led some to believe that the crash was the result of a Navy exercise gone bad.  The Navy has denied that any of its ships were in the area.  Others point to the radar data and claim it is evidence of a "fleet" entering W-105.  W-105 and W106 are FAA Warning Areas only.  These areas do not show up on nautical charts and a check with the US Coast Guard confirms that there are no military warning areas anywhere off the south coast of Long Island.  Further reviews of "Notices to Mariners" confirm that there were no maritime exercises scheduled in the immediate vicinity of W-105 & W-106 in the month of July, 1996.  These same Notice to Mariners show scheduled firing exercises off the coast of MASS, but nowhere near Long Island.  It is clear from this review that W-105 and W-106 are Aviation Warning Areas only, so any implication that radar showing ships entering the area proves they were Navy ships, is clearly inappropriate. CDR. Donaldson believes that the radar data could just as easily show commercial and sport fishermen out fishing and nothing more. You decide. 1-25-01 
Islip RadarNautical Chart of Crash Area   1-20-01 
Aeronautical Chart of Crash Area  1-20-01 
Chart Showing Location of Military Exercise Area on 7-17-96  - 1-25-01
Updated Plot of Crash Site with Radar Overlay - (jpg version) Shows boats & aircraft in the vicinity of the crash.  Plots are from 11 minutes before the explosion until 14 minutes after the explosion.  The data comes from raw NTSB radar data originally released under FOIA and now publicly available on NTSB CD dated August 2000

Narragansett Bay Operating Area

Military Training Ranges / OPAREAs

 

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