Yep. The TWA800 aircraft was 25 years old. If it hadn’t been that aircraft it would have been another. The NTSB found from the investigation that the fuel tanks weren’t as safe as assumed especially after years of service. The safety changes that were made saved lives.
Then why did the NTSB wait until 2008 to require the inerting of the atmospheres of fuel tanks of the 747s and all newer planes starting in 2010 and then only retrofitting of just 60 older 747s which had to be completed by 2018? The other changes they ordered were such things as requiring no electrical wiring in fuel tanks which is something Boeing has been doing since the 1970s and had nothing to do with the modality claimed for the claimed explosion.
To get the center wing tank on a 747 to explode, they had to fill their quarter sized models with PROPANE/AIR mixes instead of Jet A. . . because the Jet A would simply not ignite even at the ideal Fuel/Air mix and temperatures they claimed it would.
Waiting 12 years after the TWA-800 disaster looks as if they did not put too much of a priority on pushing out their final rules, does it? Especially when they don't make it effective for another two years, and retroactive for twenty years AFTER the event for the very planes they say exploded. . . when almost every single plane affected will be long retired from service or sold outside of their jurisdiction!