Cmdr. William S. Donaldson, III - USN, Ret.
Aviation Mishap Analyst
Associated Retired Aviation Professionals
P.O. Box 90, Clements, Maryland 20624
Web site: twa800.com

Washington, DC - July 17, 2000 - For Immediate Release

Date:          July 17, 2000
Time:         10:30 AM
Location:    National Press Club,  Zenger Room
Address:     14th & F St., N.W., Washington, DC (Map)

Eyewitnesses to the tragic crash of TWA Flight 800 will hold a joint press conference Monday, supported by three separate groups of independent crash researchers.  The eyewitnesses will tell their stories and the independent researchers will discuss the current progress of their investigations.  While each group differs in some of the details of their analysis and conclusions, they are united in the belief that the NTSB's theory is a complete fabrication, unsupported by the evidence uncovered so far and that other evidence is being withheld or ignored by the NTSB and FBI either through sheer incompetence or through an overt desire to avoid the embarrassment of the real cause of this tragic crash.  Presenting at the press conference will be:

Eyewitnesses - A number of the 755 eyewitnesses interviewed by the FBI will be present to tell their story about how they were ignored and how the CIA video, widely played in the national media, bears no relationship to reality.  The 755 eyewitness statements were only recently released by the NTSB, who themselves only recently got access to them from the FBI, 3 1/2 years after the crash.  When you read the witness statements you will understand why the FBI held these statements as Top Secret for 3 years- they completely refute the CIA video and the NTSB center fuel tank theory and to the average reader will make clear that a missile was responsible for this tragic crash.  The eyewitnesses were barred from the December 1997 public hearing and therefore need to be heard at the Final NTSB hearing on August 22-23. 
See highlights of several eyewitness accounts.

James Sanders - The journalist who, along with his wife, was prosecuted last year for receiving a piece of seat fabric and having it tested at an independent lab to determine if it contained residue of rocket fuel.  Mr. Sanders will present photos of what he believes is evidence of tampering with evidence by the FBI and NTSB.  See NewsMax.com article.

Dr. Tom Stalcup - Chairman of the Flight 800 Independent Researchers Organization (FIRO)
Mr. Stalcup will discuss his organization's frustrating efforts to pry information from the NTSB and FBI over the last 3 years.  Notwithstanding the clear application of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), these agencies have systematically stalled, delayed, lied and even stubbornly refused to comply with orders from their own FOIA appeals processes.  These unprecedented refusals have finally forced FIRO to file a lawsuit in U.S. District court to force the FBI to comply with one of their FOIA requests.  See FIRO press release.

Cmdr. W. S. Donaldson, USN-Ret. - Chief investigator for the Associated Retired Aviation Professionals (ARAP).  This group, which includes many aviation professionals with extensive crash investigation experience and senior retired military officers including Adm. Thomas Moorer, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, believes the aircraft was shot down and will present additional physical evidence.  See letter to NTSB Chairman Hall.