LIVE COVERAGE: See the original Miami Herald website crash coverage from 1996<\/a><\/p>\nThe crash of ValuJet Flight 592 ![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9755030034.jpeg\" "\\"9755030034\\"")
The front page of May 12, 1996 Miami Herald File <\/p>\n
Published May 11, 1996<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9655250081.jpeg\" "\\"9655250081\\"")
The ValuJet crash scene. Miami Herald Miami Herald File \/ 1996 <\/p>\n
By airboat and helicopter, rescuers searched the muck and shallow water of the Everglades, but they quickly stared at the grim reality: None of the 109 people on board a ValuJet DC-9 survived when their plane slammed into the earth west of Miami International Airport on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, no. Not the day before Mother\u2019s Day, \u201c said one frustrated Metro firefighter, pulling off his sweaty flame retardant gear.<\/p>\n
The feeling of hopelessness struck even harder at families of the passengers:<\/p>\n
\u201cThere doesn\u2019t seem to be any hope, \u201c said Stewart P. Thomas of Coral Gables, whose daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter were on the plane. \u201cThe screens on TV have gotten pretty close. I can\u2019t see any metal larger than a dishpan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Firefighters, paramedics and police officers \u2014 who have trained for just such a tragedy \u2014 could do little Saturday afternoon but slosh through the mud. At times, it seemed only the dragon flies and mosquitoes easily visited the wreckage.<\/p>\n
Bodies were sighted, but fuel that could have been easily ignited and the natural terrain hampered rescue efforts to the point where even airboats were eventually prohibited from skimming the river of grass to help.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is just all swamp and sawgrass. It will probably take three or four days to clean up. It will all have to be all done by airboat, \u201c said J.C. Esslinger, a state wildlife officer. \u201cIt is going to be ugly out there. It\u2019s not going to be pleasant, that is for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
ValuJet Flight 592 took off from Miami International at 2:05 p.m. \u2014 one hour late \u2014 with 104 passengers and a crew of five, said Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Christy Williams.<\/p>\n
It was scheduled to land one hour and 55 minutes later in Atlanta. Instead, after about 20 minutes, it bored into the ground like a power drill.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we have is a high-impact crash, \u201c said a somber Luis Fernandez, spokesman for the Metro-Dade Fire Department.<\/p>\n
The FAA\u2019s Williams gave this account of Flight 592\u2019s last minutes:<\/p>\n
The DC-9 took off and had traveled less than 100 miles west of Miami, when the crew radioed Miami traffic controllers to report smoke billowing into the cockpit. The plane had been airborne eight minutes.<\/p>\n
The jet, then at an altitude of 10,500 feet, turned around and tried to make it back to Miami International.<\/p>\n
At about 2:25 p.m., Miami air traffic control lost Flight 592 from its radar screens. The jet went down, apparently nose first, about 14 miles northwest of Miami International.<\/p>\n
It disintegrated on impact in a desolate area of wet earth, grass patches and trees.<\/p>\n
A private pilot from Miami Beach who was flying west at the time told Cable News Network he saw the plane go down. Daniel Muelhaupt said he was about two miles from the plane, flying toward Naples, when he saw what he at first thought was a small plane doing maneuvers. The craft was pointing down at an angle of about 75 degrees.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it hit the ground, the water and dirt flew up, \u201c Muelhaupt said. \u201cThe wreckage was like if you take your garbage and just throw it on the ground, it looked like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Muelhaupt said he radioed authorities and circled until they reached the scene, which took a long time because there were no visible flames or large chunks of aircraft to focus on.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccess was a major, major problem. The plane was broken up into many pieces and submerged in 4 to 5 feet of water.\u201d said Metro-Dade\u2019s Fernandez.<\/p>\n
Helicopters from the U.S. Coast Guard, Metro Police and the Dade fire department finally located the crash site and reported no signs of survivors, just minuscule pieces of shredded metal, baggage, bodies and a taut crater shaped like a candle flame. The crash sight is very close to where an Eastern Airlines L1011 crashed in 1972, the worst local air disaster before Saturday.<\/p>\n
While rescuers searched in vain, distraught relatives of passengers rushed to the ValuJet counter at Miami International. Company officials quickly moved them to an auditorium, where counselors were available to help them deal with their loss.<\/p>\n
Saturday afternoon, ValuJet\u2019s president spoke from Atlanta.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s impossible to put into words how devastating something like this is, \u201c said Lewis Jordan, president and chief operating officer.<\/p>\n
Atlanta-based ValuJet, which began operations in October 1993 and serves 26 cities in 17 states, has had a checkered past.<\/p>\n
The airline has been one of the most successful startups in aviation history, but its rapid growth has been tainted by several accidents and questions about the reliability of its aged fleet.<\/p>\n
The FAA has ValuJet under a special emphasis inspection because of repeated safety problems.<\/p>\n
Last summer, the FAA issued a special inspection notice for aircraft engines that ValuJet purchased from a Turkish airline.<\/p>\n
That investigation stemmed from a June 8, 1995, fire that destroyed a ValuJet DC-9 on a runway at Atlanta. One flight attendant was burned and minor injuries were reported as the 57 passengers and five crew were evacuated.<\/p>\n
In January, a ValuJet DC-9 got stuck in the mud at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport. The 101 passengers were bused to a terminal.<\/p>\n
Also in January, another ValuJet DC-9 with 30 people aboard slid into a snowbank after landing at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, closing the airport for nearly three hours. No one was hurt.<\/p>\n
A ValuJet DC-9 also skidded off an icy runway at Dulles in January 1994, closing the airport for almost two hours.<\/p>\n
Flight 592 was a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 configured with 113 passenger seats. It is powered by Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9A engines.<\/p>\n
At the crash site, Metro fire and the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commision officers gathered about a half mile from the crash on the levy of the L-67 Canal. Helicopters landed on the ridge dropping off firefighters.<\/p>\n
About 5:30 p.m., police and rescue were waiting for hazardous material specialists to check out the area before going in. There was concern about possible fuel leakage and explosion.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to wait until Haz Mat cleans it up, \u201c said E.M. Davis, a fresh water and game commission officer.<\/p>\n
But as night came on, the search was called off. Rescue officials said the fuel atop the water posed too much of a risk for the airboats.<\/p>\n
\u201cNight is falling, we\u2019re going to secure things here and make sure no one molests the area. We won\u2019t be going out there tonight, \u201c said Metro-Dade Police Capt. Rita Oramas.<\/p>\n
The search ![\"Airboats](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9962200032.jpeg\" "\\"9962200032\\"")
Airboats in the Florida Everglades at the scene of the crash of ValuJet Flight 592. The DC-9 crashed May 11, 1996, enroute from Miami to Atlanta. Peter Andrew ABosch Miami Herald File \/ 1996 <\/p>\n
Published May 12, 1996<\/p>\n
They used airboats and helicopters. They dodged snakes and alligators. But the rescuers who desperately searched the Everglades muck for survivors of South Florida\u2019s worst plane crash soon came upon the grim reality:<\/p>\n
None of the 109 people on board a ValuJet DC-9 survived Saturday when their plane slammed into the earth west of Miami International Airport.<\/p>\n
Today, the grimmest of tasks continues \u2014 confirming the crash toll by combing the Everglades debris. Chris Aguirre, a Metro-Dade hazardous material technician, was one of the first on the scene Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw a family album floating on the water. It depicted a mother with small children. My first thought was about my family and then I thought about the last seconds before the plane crashed,\u201d Aguirre said.<\/p>\n
The feeling of hopelessness struck even harder at families of the passengers: \u201cThere doesn\u2019t seem to be any hope,\u201d said Stewart P. Thomas of Coral Gables, whose daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter were on the jet. \u201cThe screens on TV have gotten pretty close. I can\u2019t see any metal larger than a dishpan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Firefighters, paramedics and police officers \u2014 who have trained for just such a tragedy \u2014 could do little but sweat and slosh through mud. At times, it seemed only the dragonflies and mosquitoes easily visited the wreckage. Bodies were sighted, but fuel that could have been easily ignited and the natural terrain hampered rescue efforts to the point where even airboats were eventually prohibited from skimming the river of grass to help.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is just all swamp and sawgrass. It will probably take three or four days to clean up. It will all have to be all done by airboat,\u201d said John Esslinger, a state wildlife officer. \u201cIt is going to be ugly out there. It\u2019s not going to be pleasant, that is for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Television news helicopters circled the site all afternoon, showing South Florida and the world the same bleak view: bits of debris dotting the shallow water and hammocks.<\/p>\n
ValuJet Flight 592 took off from Miami International at 2:05 p.m. \u2014 one hour late \u2014 with 104 passengers and a crew of five, said Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Christy Williams. The DC-9, one of aviation\u2019s great workhorses, was scheduled to land one hour and 55 minutes later in Atlanta.<\/p>\n
Instead, after about 20 minutes, the white blue and yellow aircraft bored into the ground like a power drill.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we have is a high-impact crash,\u201d said a somber Luis Fernandez, spokesman for the Metro-Dade Fire Department.<\/p>\n
The FAA\u2019s Williams gave this account of Flight 592\u2019s last minutes: The DC-9 took off to the east and then turned northwest. It had traveled less than 100 miles from Miami when the crew radioed Miami traffic controllers to report smoke billowing into the cockpit. The plane had been airborne eight minutes.<\/p>\n
The jet, then at an altitude of 10,500 feet, turned around and tried to make it back to Miami International. At about 2:25 p.m., Miami air traffic control lost Flight 592 from its radar screens.<\/p>\n
The plane went down, apparently nose first, about 14 miles northwest of Miami International. It crashed in a desolate area of wet earth, grass patches and trees.<\/p>\n
A private pilot from Miami Beach who was flying west at the time said he saw the plane go down.<\/p>\n
Daniel Muelhaupt said he was about two miles from the jetliner, flying toward Naples, when he saw what he at first thought was a small plane doing maneuvers. The plane was pointing down at an angle of about 75 degrees.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it hit the ground, the water and dirt flew up,\u201d Muelhaupt said. \u201cThe wreckage was like if you take your garbage and just throw it on the ground, it looked like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the ground, Sam Nelson and Chris Osceola said they were on a bass boat fishing on the L-67 Canal about a half-mile from the crash when they saw the plane begin to falter.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe plane was going when all of a sudden it just made a right turn. I don\u2019t know what it was doing. It looked like it was trying to go back up. It was pretty low,\u201d said Nelson, 52, of Hollywood. \u201cIt kinda turned sideways, then it just nose dived, right down straight into the swamp.\u201d<\/p>\n
The two men brought the boat to land and ran up on the levee to look, thinking they could help.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last thing we saw was the tail end going down,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cThen it hit and there was a big, big explosion. You could hear the motor, like it was under full power. That thing hit so hard you couldn\u2019t even see it. After the explosion went away, there was no smoke. It was like nothing ever happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Muelhaupt, the small-plane pilot, said he radioed authorities and circled the crash site until rescuers reached the scene, which took about a half hour because there were no visible flames or large chunks of aircraft to focus on.<\/p>\n
Helicopters from the U.S. Coast Guard, Metro Police and the Dade fire department circled the crash site and reported no signs of survivors, just minuscule pieces of shredded metal, baggage, bodies and a taut crater shaped like a jagged candle flame.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccess was a major, major problem. The plane was broken up into many pieces and submerged in 4 to 5 feet of water.\u201d said Metro-Dade\u2019s Fernandez.<\/p>\n
The site is very close to where an Eastern Airlines L1011 crashed in 1972, the worst local air disaster before Saturday.<\/p>\n
While rescuers searched in vain, distraught relatives of passengers rushed to the ValuJet counter at Miami International. Company officials quickly moved them to an auditorium, where counselors were available to help them deal with their loss.<\/p>\n
At Gate G-2, a sign announcing the departure of Flight 592 still was listing it as \u201cOn Time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Saturday afternoon, ValuJet\u2019s president spoke from Atlanta. \u201cIt\u2019s impossible to put into words how devastating something like this is,\u201d said Lewis Jordan, president and chief operating officer.<\/p>\n
Atlanta-based ValuJet, which began operations in October 1993 and serves 31 cities in 19 states, has had a checkered past. The airline has been one of the most successful startups in aviation history, but its rapid growth has been tainted by several accidents and questions about the reliability of its aged fleet.<\/p>\n
The FAA has ValuJet under a special emphasis inspection because of repeated safety problems. Last summer, the FAA issued a special inspection notice for aircraft engines that ValuJet purchased from a Turkish airline. That investigation stemmed from a June 8, 1995, fire that destroyed a ValuJet DC-9 on a runway at Atlanta. One flight attendant was burned and minor injuries were reported as the 57 passengers and five crew members were evacuated.<\/p>\n
Flight 592 was a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 configured with 113 passenger seats. It was powered by Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9A engines.<\/p>\n
At the crash site, Metro fire and the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission officers gathered about a half mile from the wreckage on the levee of the L-67 Canal. Helicopters landed on the ridge dropping off firefighters.<\/p>\n
About 5:30 p.m., police and rescue workers were waiting for hazardous material specialists to check out the area before going in. There was concern about possible fuel leakage and fire.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to wait until Haz Mat cleans it up,\u201d said Ernest Davis, a wildlife officer.<\/p>\n
But as night came on, the search continued with a handful of airboats equipped with floodlights and generators. More workers were expected to join the effort at daybreak today.<\/p>\n
Nelson, the bass fisherman who saw the plane go down, said that hours later his heart was still racing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was something I will never ever forget,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The scene ![\"Robin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Valujet "\\"Valujet")
Robin Steinbrenner share a moment in the remembrance of those who died in ValuJet crash into the Everglades. Robin father Fred Steinbrenner was on that flight, This photo was taken on, May 11, 2011. Pter Andrew Bosch Miami Herald File <\/p>\n
Published May 12, 1996<\/p>\n
Late Saturday, rescue crews were trying to determine whether the ValuJet aircraft disintegrated on impact or partially lodged itself in the soft, marshy terrain of the Everglades.<\/p>\n
The area where Flight 592 crashed Saturday is thick with razor-tooth sawgrass and a variety of wildlife, including alligators. Popular with airboaters, froggers and fishermen, the swampy muck beneath the water may have acted as a pincushion, essentially swallowing the disabled DC-9 aircraft.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why you don\u2019t see big parts of it,\u201d theorized Harold Johnson, vice president of the Everglades Coordinating Council and an airboater familiar with the area. \u201cIt may have just swallowed it up. It\u2019s like quicksand. It doesn\u2019t have a bottom.\u201d Maj. Jim Ries of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission said that\u2019s a likely scenario, depending on the trajectory of the aircraft on impact.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt looks like a large part of the airplane must be below the muck and mud. That stuff can be very deep before you hit shell rock,\u201d or limestone, Ries said.<\/p>\n
May is generally the dry season in the Everglades, with water only one to three feet deep. During the rainy season, it can reach five feet in places. Alligators in the area can grow to 12 feet or more in length.<\/p>\n
But Steve Coughlin, a biologist with the game and fish commission, said they probably pose no threat to searchers.<\/p>\n
\u201cUsually something like that scares wildlife away,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd if there\u2019s fuel or oil or anything like that in the water, alligators won\u2019t get anywhere near there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coughlin said the crash isn\u2019t likely to pose a hazard to wildlife or water quality in the area. But salvaging what\u2019s left of the aircraft may be difficult since it\u2019s nearly impossible to get heavy equipment into the area.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This is ValuJet\u2019s DC-9, N904VJ, Flight 592 from Miami, which crashed in the Everglades, May 11, 1996, en…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":240431,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[225,227,226],"class_list":["post-240430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-hialeah","tag-hialeah","tag-hialeah-headlines","tag-hialeah-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=240430"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240430\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/240431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=240430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=240430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=240430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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