December 16, 1999

Rob,

Sorry to be taking up your time, but there is a very important issue that has
been on my mind for quite some time that I would like you to discuss with
Chairman Duncan, House Aviation Subcommitte.  Actually, because of this issue I
have been unable to sleep very well for the past 3½ years.  I am talking about
2 to 3 hours of sleep a night at the maximum.

On July 17th ,1996, my wife and I lost our youngest daughter (16 years old) on
TWA Flight 800.  Of course, we both have gone through an extended period of
grief and have finally accepted our and her loss if that is possible.  Our loss
was great, but her's was even greater for she lost all she had, her life.

Throughout this time period all the governmental agencies that we had contact
with have been very kind and considerate to us and all the other families.  My
concern is that the cause of this accident be established without a shadow of a
doubt.  I do not want my life and the lives of my other children to be
disrupted by the release of new information about this tragedy on a yearly
basis as was the case in the John Kennedy assassination.

I request that the whole truth be released and that their can be no question of
a cover-up.  Up to this point in time, I do not feel that this is the case. 
There has been entirely to many statements made by the Navy, NTSB, and FBI that
have been false and changed at a later date.  Case in point, I was in a meeting
in the Ramade Inn on July 20th, 1996, where a Navy officier stated absolutely
that there were no Navy assests within 185 miles of the crash site at the time
of the crash.  Eight months later it was stated that 3 submarines were in the
immediate area.  Very recently, it has been established from expanded radar
data released by the NTSB that 24 to 30 large ships near the crash site (within
a 25 mile circle) moved in formation into the closed military restrected zone,
W-105, at the time of the crash.

Something is not right.  All of this and many other discrepencies trouble me a
great deal.  What other information is being withheld.  I am of the opinon that
our government owes the victims, victim's families, and the American public the
truth.  Questions raised by some independent investigators need to be addressed
not just ignored.  Would you please request that Chairman Duncan consider valid
questions raised by Cmdr. Donaldson and have the FBI and NTSB provide answers
to them.  If there is a meeting to discuss these question, I would also request
that my wife and I be allowed to attend.  All we want is the truth.  If the
Navy was involved, we know it was an accident.  Shit happens.  But, the truth
needs to be told.

These questions have caused additional grief for us to bear, but the cause has
not been the independent investigator but our own governmental agencies
involved with the investigation.

Donald Nibert