Introduction, purpose, scope

The website created on the El Al Flight 1862 crash (1992 Amsterdam Bijlmermeer disaster) is not a conventional narrative about an air disaster. Its primary aim is to return to verifiable facts and original sources, and to examine how public narratives can diverge from those facts over time.

At its core, the website functions as a structured repository of primary information. It brings together original documents, technical analyses, timelines, and investigative material related to the accident. Rather than presenting a simplified story, it allows readers to engage directly with the underlying evidence.

The objective is not only to reconstruct what happened, but also to make transparent how knowledge about the accident was formed. In doing so, the website highlights the difference between the reality established through systematic investigation and the narratives that can emerge in media, politics, and public debate.

A key feature of the website is its focus on correction. Over the years, various interpretations and claims about the accident have circulated. The site addresses these by tracing them back to their sources and comparing them with documented evidence.
For users, the website can be approached as a primary source archive, a case study in investigative methodology, a tool for learning fact-checking, and a study of media and narrative formation.

For an international audience, its relevance extends beyond the Dutch context. The investigation was conducted under ICAO Annex 13, meaning the principles and methods are globally applicable.

In practical terms, the website can be used in education and professional training as a real-world case combining technical investigation, media analysis, and critical thinking.

Its purpose is to bring the discussion back from interpretation to evidence, and to make that evidence accessible, traceable, and open to scrutiny.

 

16 april 2026, Henk Pruis