TWA Flight 800 Families Mark 15 Years Since Crash

NEW YORK – Family members of some of the 230 people killed in the TWA Flight 800 crash off Long Island 15 years ago are gathering Sunday evening to mark the anniversary.

The Paris-bound jet had just left Kennedy International Airport when it exploded in the sky, setting off a massive FBI probe amidst fears that a bomb or missile was to blame. Federal aviation experts later determined the crash probably resulted from an electrical spark that set off fumes in an empty fuel tank.

The crash has an enduring legacy, though. The families have remained tight-knit and one woman formed an organization that matches hundreds of people who have suffered sudden tragedies with others who understand their pain.

The group has brought relief to people who lost loved ones as long as 50 years ago.