No Sign Of Missile In Photos

Pentagon analysts have found no sign on radar tapes or high-altitude photographs of a missile or anything else that might have brought down TWA Flight 800, a spokesman said Tuesday.

Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said studies of satellite reconnaissance photos have provided “nothing significant, nothing helpful” to understand what caused the disaster last Wednesday.

“We have made available all our radar tapes, or sightings, to the analysts who are looking into this crash,” Bacon told reporters.

“We have not seen any signs on those radar tapes - from our own analysis or from their analysis - of something … that looks like a missile.”

As well, the spokesman said, satellites “detected an event” that analysts believe was the plane exploding, but the photos provided no information to help investigators understand exactly what happened.

“There were some eyewitness accounts that make it sound as if a missile could have been involved. There is precious else to support that at this stage,” Bacon said.

His comments put on the record what Pentagon officials had been saying privately for several days.

Asked if he were ruling out a missile strike, he added: “Until the investigators have more information about what might have caused this disaster, I don’t think they’re willing to rule anything out.”