TWA Flight 800

[Jim Eshelman]

July 17, 1996, 8:31:12 PM EDT, Moriches Inlet, NY (40N39, 72W38)

Third-deadliest aircraft accident in U.S. history. Exploded and crashed shortly after take-off from JFK killing all 230 people aboard. Probable cause: Explosion of fuel vapors in one of the fuel tanks due to a short circuit.

The last crew communication to the tower was at 8:30 PM. At 8:31:12 PM, the last radar transponder return was received; this was also the time when the cockpit voice recorder an flight data recorder stopped. At 8:31:50, the captain of another flight reported having just seen an explosion, so the explosion was likely at 8:31:12 PM.

The explosion occurred as Uranus rose, exactly opposite a setting Mercury. Mercury-Uranus, the definitive aspect for aviation disasters, is quite present in the charts for the event. The usual daily indicators then fail us miserably after a fine Week chart. In some ways, the new Cansolar one day earlier is the best timing.

Year: Capsolar (Dormant.)

Year/Quarter: Cansolar {+3}
Moon on WP 0°33'
Sun, Mercury, Uranus, Neptune more widely foreground
-- Mercury-Uranus op. 0°01' in mundo
-- Sun-Neptune op. 0°39' in mundo
-- Moon-Uranus op. 0°50' in mundo
-- Moon-Mercury conj. 0°52' in mundo

Bridge (None.)
Month: Caplunar (Dormant.) Moon-Neptune,
Week: Canlunar (Dormant.) Moon-Sun Moon-Mercury Moon-Neptune.

Week: Arilunar {+2}
Uranus on Dsc 0°11'
-- Mars-Uranus sq. 0°15' PVP
Sun on EP 0°13' [conj. non-ang Mercury 3°32', op. non-ang Jupiter 3°38' i.m., sq. non-ang Saturn 1°50' i.m.]
Moon & Neptune are more widely foreground
-- Moon-Neptune sq. 1°57'

Day: Capsolar Transits {0}
t Moon op. s Asc 1°07'

Day: Cansolar Quotidian {0}
p EP op. s Moon 1°32'

Supplemental Charts
AriQ Asc sq. s Mars 0°05', op. s Jupiter 0°55'
-- p Mars-Jupiter sq. 0°49'
p MC sq. t Mars 1°38'
t Mars op. Arisolar MC 1°03'
t Pluto sq. Libsolar MC 0°08'