PODCAST: 25 years later, the emotional toll of the TWA Flight 800 tragedy remains

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- It's been 25 years since the crash of TWA Flight 800 over the waters off Long Island -- Saturday marks that somber anniversary -- and the emotional toll still weighs heavily on victims' families and those who covered the tragedy.

JoAnn Callas(L) cries as she holds a photo of her brother, Daniel J. Callas 20 July outside the Ramada Inn at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. Daniel Callas was a flight attendant on board TWA flight 800 that exploded July 17, 1996. Callas is comforted by unidentified relative (R).
JoAnn Callas (L) cries as she holds a photo of her brother, Daniel J. Callas 20 July outside the Ramada Inn at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. Daniel Callas was a flight attendant on board TWA flight 800 that exploded July 17, 1996. Callas is comforted by unidentified relative (R). Photo credit STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images
Catherine Cayrol from France, holding a stuffed bear, speaks to reporters 21 July outside the Ramada Inn at Kennedy Airport in New York where families of the victims of TWA flight 800 are staying. Catherine Cayrol's husband, Jacques Cayrol, was on the flight.
Catherine Cayrol from France, holding a stuffed bear, speaks to reporters 21 July outside the Ramada Inn at Kennedy Airport in New York where families of the victims of TWA flight 800 are staying. Catherine Cayrol's husband, Jacques Cayrol, was on the flight. Photo credit STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images

1010 WINS then-reporter Ben Mevorach -- now the station's Brand Manager and Director of News & Programming-- covered the story of Flight 800 and spent the next 365 days on an emotional journey searching for answers.

The podcast above is a replay of 1010 WINS' one-year anniversary coverage of the tragedy, which claimed the lives of 212 passengers and 18 crew members.

Mevorach was the first reporter allowed in the hanger to view the reconstructed wreckage of the Boeing 747. He was also one of the first to find an expert who correctly identified the likely cause of the crash, and in the podcast above he shares the poignant stories of the impact of the human loss. ​

Then-New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (L) prays during a memorial service at St. Patrick's Cathedral 17 July during a church service to mark the one year anniversary of the TWA Flight 800 disaster over Long Island in which 230 people died in the explosion.
Then-New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (L) prays during a memorial service at St. Patrick's Cathedral 17 July during a church service to mark the one year anniversary of the TWA Flight 800 disaster over Long Island in which 230 people died in the explosion. Photo credit TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images
Wreckage from TWA's flight 800 is brought to the Shinnecock, New York, Coast Guard Station after being recovered from the ocean floor July 29, 1996, off the coast of Long Island, New York.
Wreckage from TWA's flight 800 is brought to the Shinnecock, New York, Coast Guard Station after being recovered from the ocean floor July 29, 1996, off the coast of Long Island, New York. Photo credit HENNY ABRAMS/AFP via Getty Images
Robert Francis, (L) Then-Vice Chairman of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) speaks to the press July 18, 1996 in East Moriches, New York. Francis updated the press on rescue operations for the TWA flight 800. Then-New York Governor George Pataki is on the right.
Robert Francis, (L) Then-Vice Chairman of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) speaks to the press July 18, 1996 in East Moriches, New York. Francis updated the press on rescue operations for the TWA flight 800. Then-New York Governor George Pataki is on the right. Photo credit PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images
Hundreds of family members and friends gather for a one-year anniversary memorial service at Smith Point Park in New York on July 17, 1997. The Service was to remember those who died on TWA Flight 800.
Hundreds of family members and friends gather for a one-year anniversary memorial service at Smith Point Park in New York on July 17, 1997. The Service was to remember those who died on TWA Flight 800. Photo credit JON LEVY/AFP via Getty Images