▁to ▁be ▁j ett ison ed ▁when ▁empty ▁or ▁in ▁the ▁event ▁of ▁combat ▁or ▁emer gency ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁reduce ▁drag ▁and ▁weight , ▁increasing ▁man oe uv rab ility ▁and ▁range . ▁Modern ▁external ▁t anks ▁may ▁be ▁retained ▁in ▁combat , ▁to ▁be ▁dropped ▁in ▁an ▁emer gency ▁and ▁are ▁often ▁not ▁designed ▁for ▁the ▁str esses ▁of ▁su person ic ▁flight . ▁ ▁Saf ety ▁ ▁F uel ▁t anks ▁have ▁been ▁imp licated ▁in ▁av iation ▁dis aster s , ▁being ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁the ▁accident ▁or ▁w ors ening ▁it ▁( f uel ▁tank ▁explos ion ). ▁ ▁The ▁official ▁explanation ▁for ▁the ▁explos ion ▁and ▁subsequent ▁crash ▁of ▁T WA ▁Fl ight ▁ 8 0 0 ▁is ▁that ▁an ▁explos ive ▁fuel / air ▁mixture ▁was ▁created ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁aircraft ' s ▁fuel ▁t anks . ▁F ault y ▁w iring ▁then ▁provided ▁an ▁ign ition ▁source ▁within ▁the ▁tank , ▁destroy ing ▁the ▁air lin er . ▁While ▁the ▁accuracy ▁of ▁the ▁official ▁find ings ▁is ▁still ▁question ed ▁in ▁this ▁case , ▁similar ▁explos ions ▁have ▁occurred ▁in ▁other ▁aircraft . ▁It ▁is ▁possible ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁chance ▁of ▁fuel ▁tank ▁explos ions ▁by ▁a ▁fuel ▁tank ▁in ert ing ▁system ▁or ▁fire ▁fighting ▁fo am ▁in ▁the ▁t anks . ▁ ▁The ▁Bo eing ▁ 7 3 7 , ▁for ▁example , ▁has ▁two ▁systems ▁that ▁reduce ▁the ▁chance ▁of ▁a ▁fuel ▁tank ▁ign ition . ▁One ▁sh uts ▁off ▁fuel