Passengers Near Front Hit Hardest Injuries Back Theory Of Bomb In Plane’s Forward Cargo Hold

Victims from the front of TWA Flight 800 appear to have been hardest hit, an FBI agent said Monday, supporting the theory that a bomb in the front cargo hold blew off the cockpit and first-class cabin.

Joe Cantanessa, an FBI supervisor, said that although the injuries suffered by the 230 people aboard the flight fit no pattern, “those in front experienced the bulk of the event.”

But neither he nor other investigators had any progress to report Monday. “We’re all a little frustrated,” Cantanessa told reporters. He said the bomb theory had so far not been confirmed through chemical-residue tests or pitting found on metal.

But, he added, “the first droppings in the ocean have not been brought up.”

Investigators were awaiting the arrival of an underwater vehicle that can lift 6-1/2 tons, adding on to such high-tech equipment as a laser scanner capable of reading small print in murky water.

A source told The Associated Press that investigators are operating on the theory that a bomb in the front cargo hold exploded about 10 miles off Long Island, tearing the nose off the plane at 13,700 feet. The rest of the plane traveled further and burst into a fireball at 8,000 feet.

Parts of the forward landing gear, business and first-class passenger sections hit the water first and were found a mile and a half behind the engine, wings and fuselage.

The source, who is close to the investigation and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said investigators need one key piece of evidence to prove their theory, such as the plane’s aluminum skin pierced by the blast.

With dozens of bodies still unaccounted for and the victims’ families complaining publicly that the criminal case is taking priority over the recovery of their loved ones’ remains, searchers converged on a field of debris where first-class seats and the front landing gear were found over the weekend.

Almost from the start, investigators have looked at three possible causes for the July 17 disaster: a bomb, a missile or catastrophic mechanical failure. So far authorities have said no physical evidence - such as chemical residue from explosives - has been found to confirm suspicions of sabotage.

The Navy said the salvage ship USS Grapple was arriving Monday and would be ready to lift wreckage by Tuesday.