Claim Regarding Flight 800 Crash Could Bring Charges

A Seal Beach man who claims he has some seat fabric from TWA Flight 800 that contains traces of missile fuel could face federal charges if he stole or tampered with pieces of the plane’s wreckage, investigators said Wednesday.

James Sanders, whose wife is a TWA employee, has said he obtained the fabric from the hangar where the wreckage of the jet is being reconstructed. He says lab tests of a reddish-orange residue on the fabric found chemicals consistent with those in a missile warhead.

Investigators adamantly deny Sanders’ claim--and want to know where he got the fabric.

“If this guy has a piece of the airplane and it was removed illegally, we want to know about it,” said one source, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. “We’re looking into possible obstruction of justice charges, whether the evidence was stolen and other matters.”

There was no answer Wednesday at Sanders’ home.

William Muller, an executive assistant in the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn, refused to disclose whether a case was presented to a grand jury regarding Sanders or anyone else who claims to have information on the crash. Muller said the office would have no comment “on what we are or are not investigating.”

A National Transportation Safety Board source who spoke on condition of anonymity said investigators looked at the reddish-orange residue last fall and determined that it was glue.

“We’ve seen it before in other crashes and we confirmed it with the manufacturer,” the source said. “It’s not rocket fuel.”

Investigators still have not determined whether a bomb, a missile or mechanical failure brought down the Paris-bound jumbo jet off Long Island last July 17, killing all 230 people aboard.