ValuJet Flight 592

ValuJet Flight 592 plunged into the everglades 11 minutes after takeoff on May 11, 1996. It was on its way to Atlanta when a fire broke out. It tried to turn around and return to Miami International Airport, but it crashed about 12 miles short. All 110 aboard the aircraft perished. The NTSB found that the fire was started by 144 volatile oxygen-generating canisters removed from two ValuJet M-80s by mechanics from the maintenance firm SabreTech. The safety board later determined that ValuJet, the FAA and SabreTech all shared blame for the accident. Three years later, SabreTech was found guilty of eight federal criminal counts of recklessly causing hazardous materials to be transported. SabreTech appealed and the court dropped all but the single training count. At the state level, 220 charges were dismissed in exchange for a no contest plea to carrying hazardous waste.

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