Fbi Interviews Families About Carry-On Luggage Heavily Damaged Duffel Bag Not Suspected Of Holding Bomb

Investigators are asking families of victims killed in the explosion of TWA Flight 800 if they recognize a tan, canvas bag found amid the wreckage that has not been linked to anyone on board.

An FBI official said Saturday the agency does not believe the bag contained a bomb, but it is trying to identify the owner to better pinpoint the location of the explosion.

The duffel bag with an orange leather shoulder strap was tested for chemical traces of a bomb and the results were negative, said a source close to the investigation who wished to remain anonymous.

The unmarked bag apparently was near the center of the blast in the passenger cabin. Family members were shown photographs of the torn-apart bag by FBI agents who began interviewing relatives across the country last week.

“It was pretty blown up. They wanted to know if it belonged to my daughter or if she perhaps borrowed it from someone,” said Aurelie Becker of St. Petersburg, Fla., who lost her 19-year-old daughter Michele in the crash.

“I told them my wife wouldn’t carry something like that. It was really ugly,” said Leonard Romagna, of Sun City, Fla., whose wife Barbara was killed.

The Paris-bound jet blew up after taking off from New York’s Kennedy Airport, plunging into the ocean off the Long Island coast. Investigators still have not determined whether the explosion was caused by a bomb, missile or mechanical malfunction.

Agents also asked families if they recognized a name found on another piece of luggage that does not match any of the 230 people who were killed.

Becker, who puts out a newsletter for victims’ families, said she couldn’t remember the man’s foreign-sounding name and that it was not on her list of all the families and their extended relatives.