ABC Airs TWA Flight 800 Docuseries On Crash Victims’ Families

LONG ISLAND, NY — ABC's TWA Flight 800 docuseries detailing the crash victims’ families' grief over the tragedy 25 years later aired Friday night and is now available to stream online.

The series, “Heartbreak Hotel: Flight 800, 25 Years Later,” marks the anniversary of the doomed plane that exploded over Long Island about 10 minutes after taking off from John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens, New York, on July 17, 1996.

It premiered Friday night on ABC7 and can be seen on connected TV Apps on streaming platforms like Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku.

“On that fateful day, 230 lives were lost, and for the families and friends of the victims, the Ramada Plaza JFK Hotel became the home front focus of their pain and grief as they awaited word about their loved ones,” a news release from ABC7 stated. “The hotel became widely known as the “Heartbreak Hotel.”

In the series, ABC7 Eyewitness News reporter Josh Einiger returns to the abandoned hotel with relatives who lost their loved ones in the crash. He speaks with Joe Lychner, who lost his wife and two daughters, and Heidi Snow Cinader, whose fiancé was on board and later channeled her grief into helping others by founding Aircraft Casualty Emotional Support Services, according to the news release.

A memorial marking the 25th anniversary of the crash is planned for Saturday at Smith Point County Park in Shirley.