ValuJet Flight 592
A ValuJet McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32, similar to the one involved
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 11, 1996 |
| Summary | In-flight fire and loss of control |
| Site |
Everglades, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States 25°54′47″N 80°34′41″W / 25.91306°N 80.57806°WCoordinates: 25°54′47″N 80°34′41″W / 25.91306°N 80.57806°W |
| Passengers | 105 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 110 (all) |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 |
| Operator | ValuJet Airlines |
| Registration | N904VJ |
| Flight origin |
Miami International Airport Miami, Florida |
| Destination | William B. Hartsfield Atlanta Int'l Airport, Atlanta, Georgia |
ValuJet Flight 592 was a regularly scheduled flight from Miami International Airport to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. On May 11, 1996, the ValuJet Airlines McDonnell-Douglas DC-9 operating the route crashed into the Everglades about 11 minutes after taking off from Miami as a result of a fire in the cargo compartment caused by improperly stored cargo, killing all 110 people on board. The airline already had a poor safety record before the crash, and the accident brought widespread attention to the airline's problems. The airline was grounded for several months after the accident. When operations resumed, ValuJet's reputation was so tarnished that it was forced to merge with AirTran Airways and rebrand itself as such to stay in business. To date, the accident remains the deadliest in the history of Florida.
ValuJet Airlines was founded in 1992 and was known for its cost-cutting measures. All of the airline's planes were purchased used from other airlines, very little training was provided to workers, and contractors were used for maintenance and other services. The company quickly developed a reputation for its lax safety. In 1995, the U.S. military refused ValuJet's bid to fly military personnel because of safety worries, and officials at the FAA wanted the airline to be grounded.
In 1986, an American Trans Air McDonnell Douglas DC-10 being serviced at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport had been destroyed on the ground by a fire caused by chemical oxygen generators. In 1988, American Airlines Flight 132 (operated by a McDonnell-Douglas MD-80) had a similar incident to that which later downed ValuJet Flight 592: a fire began in the cargo hold while the plane was in flight, caused by hazardous materials (primarily hydrogen peroxide), but in that case the crew landed the aircraft safely.
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