Assuming that the conspiracy theorists are wrong and that there was no missile fired at the plane, that catastrophe could have been avoided. It is as simple as injecting Nitrogen into the air-space of the fuel tanks. The airlines and the FAA aren't willing to spend the money required for this safety system although it has been proved effective in military planes.

One fuel tank will explode every four and one half years on average. We are due for another any day now. But lets just put some more clamps on the wiring harnesses and pretend that it's okay.

the missing pump from the main fuel tank is inventoried along with the columbia's untested exploding bolt covers and lee harvey oswald's curtain rods 'prop shop' sniper scope inside 'the largest ball of string' museum somewhere on the eye-40.

it reportedly took an extra effort by eod to make a similar main tank explode when that theory was tested. you're right about the nitrogen safety systems, but that's for military equipment that sometimes experiences 'events' that produce a lot of sudden heat, pressure and systems' failure due to penetration by hostile weapons:

the line of seats recovered on the port side (business class?) section of twa 800 were reportedly smeared on their fabric with a red propellant produced in the exhaust of solid fuel missiles. i dunno...

my fave theory is an important friend in nyc city handing a small, cloth carry on bag to an associate and asking, 'could you give this to nicolle in paris? it's homemade jellies from her mom-mah'

back then the carry-on went under the seat...(right on top of the main fuel tank?). producing results just like in the eod momma's little helper test....

so many theories, so little time. but you're right -- nitrogen might have protected the fuel tank if the fuelage had held together at altitude until landing.

another fact we'll never know...

Your, and the FAA's sure fix of filling fuel tanks with nitrogen

gas is simplistic. All aircraft fuel tanks have fuel vents (so does

your vehicle) so as soon as the plane is airborne all the nitrogen

gas would be sucked out of the vents. Electrical sparks can't

ignite diesel (jet-a) fumes in a tank (fact). The real cause of the

TWA 800 explosion has never been conclusively determined.

The system is fully developed and operational.

Hope I didn't knock a dent in your tin-foil hat.

night:

it's ok, night, the tinfoil hat was government issue...just like the military transport that burned because the center fuel tank caught fire (which it can't do).

after that came the nitrogen systems which work...even in combat.

b-2s crashing on takeoff; b-1s burning on landing; and back in my day...m-16s that fell apart cause the 'silver bolt' reamed out the chamber after a few mags. it was a real suprise to grab the retractor and watch the bolt fall into the laterite between your combat boots.

it there a pattern forming here?

copy, not the center fuel tank.