Unlike hydrogen gasoline will ignite over a relatively narrow
range of mixtures. 10:1 to about 18:1. The tank environment is
always too rich to ignite the mixture.

Paul Lamar

Brings to mind the TWA 747 loss a number of years ago where government
investigators concluded shorting wires in empty tank ignited jet fuel vapors
causing explosion. I was skeptical from the start. Seems to me all 747
aircraft that vintage would have been grounded immediately for inspection.


Al K

My wife Robin worked for TWA in those days as a mechanic. All 747's were inspected
for loose or bare wires. Robin, due to her small size, spent many hours crawling
around in fuel tanks. A nasty job. Nothing was found. It was common practice to take
off with empty center tank if you did not need it. This reduced the stress on
the wing spar. That meant thousands of successful
747 take offs were made with empty center tanks. They also did their damnedest to
ignite the mostly empty center tank on an old 747 with out success.

IMHO it was shot down in error by the Navy and covered up by the Clinton administration.
Think of the political fall out if they admitted shooting it down in error.

Heck cars would be blowing up all over the place. Fuel flows through
the pump past the armature and past the brushes.

What they do with a fuel air bomb is first blow up the tank to distribute
the fuel in the air to roughly the proper mixture and then ignite the mixture
with a flare. Then you get the really big bang. Forget the movies of cars and
gasoline tank trucks blowing up.

A can of gas will put out a match but don't ask me to demonstrate :)
Do it with a robot.

Paul Lamar
--


I was thinking at the time that somebody with enough knowledge and access to
the aircraft could have given the tank a good dose of oxygen after someone
else fiddled with in-tank wiring or placed a detonation device of some type
in the tank during routine service. Possibilities endless for someone with a
creative mind, especially for some one who may have paid attention in high
school chemistry and shop class. Not so sure about the errant Navy missile
theory. Odd place to do testing. If it was a successful terrorist attack,
we'll never be told. Would not want to upset the flying public.


Al K

                       
There was a big Navy and Air Force exercise going on in the area at the
time. Target drones were launched from the ground and were to be shot
down by guided missile cruisers. Instead they shot done a larger target.
Easy mistake.

It would have to be a lot of oxygen as that tank is BIG.

Paul Lamar