Down to the wire

A University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) chemist who identified a plausible cause of the explosion that downed TWA flight 800 in 1996 has developed a self-healing wire designed to prevent that kind of explosion from recurring.

Bob Kauffman also made an accidental secondary discovery that could prove equally lifesaving: damaged aircraft wires exposed to moisture emit radio frequencies just before they short out - a phenomenon that could allow them to be readily located with a simple 'listening' device before they cause any damage.
  
Kauffman and his colleagues at UDRI were part of a team hired by the FAA in 1999 to determine the cause of the centre-wing fuel tank explosion that brought down TWA 800.

The Boeing 747 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from New York City's Kennedy Airport in 1996, killing all 230 passengers and crew. The researchers determined that frayed fuel-sensor wiring likely played a significant role in the explosion.