Hearing into ValuJet crash opens

Investigation spurs safety regulations

November 18, 1996
Web posted at: 9:40 a.m. EST

MIAMI (CNN) -- The National Transportation Safety Board opens a hearing Monday morning into the May 11 crash of ValuJet Flight 592, in which all 110 people aboard were killed when the DC-9 slammed into the Everglades in south Florida.

A final report on the investigation is expected next spring. But the investigation has already spurred changes in aviation regulations, with more changes possible following the week-long hearing.

The Federal Aviation Administration last week accepted NTSB recommendations for fire detectors and extinguishers in cargo compartments of older aircraft -- a recommendation made following an injury-free cargo fire in 1988. The FAA rejected that recommendation in 1993, citing a projected $350 million cost.

But investigators believe the ValuJet flight, which had taken off from Miami for a flight to Atlanta, was brought down when oxygen-generating canisters in the cargo hold -- labeled and packaged improperly as empty -- sparked a fire that filled the jet's cabin with smoke.

"Even if the fire didn't start while the plane was still on the ground, the detection equipment may have given the pilot just enough time to turn around and get back," said David Borer, attorney for the Association of Flight Attendants.

This week's hearing will also look at the handling of hazardous cargo, such as the oxygen containers, maintenance by outsiders, and the supervision of newly formed airlines.

Sabertech, the company hired by ValuJet to pack the oxygen generators, has since fired two employees.

The hearing could be an emotional one for relatives of crash victims, as investigators piece together the last minutes of the flight. The investigators have released a transcript of cockpit conversations, and will describe results of a test in which an attempt was made to duplicate the fire using an old airplane cargo compartment.

To prepare them for the week ahead, NTSB officials met privately Sunday with family members of crash victims.

Family members search for ways to grieve

Six months after the crash, the site remains closed to the public, while overhead planes run a normal flight pattern toward Miami International Airport. In the swamp, jet fuel has prevented wildlife from coming back, and vegetation is slowly recovering.

At the spot where the DC-9 plunged into the shallow water, personal effects -- clothing, credit cards, photo IDs -- continue to float to the top. Twice a month, wildlife officers and homicide detectives gather them up.

Since the crash, some of the victims' family members have felt compelled to come back to the site. They are escorted by Lt. Jerry Lord, a Florida wildlife officer who witnesses the healing provided by the visitations.(92K/8 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

Other family members plan to attend this week's hearing. Among them will be Marilyn Chamberlin, the mother of flight captain Candalyn Kubek. Chamberlin, who said her daughter's career had been "the focus of my life," said that she expects to hear "the truth, the whole truth."

Corespondent Susan Candiotti and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Hearing into ValuJet crash opens

Investigation spurs safety regulations

Family members search for ways to grieve

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