Search for survivors called off
Deadly Florida crash site a logistical puzzle
May 12, 1996
Web posted at: 5:00 p.m. EDTM IAMI, Florida (CNN) -- The active search for survivors of the crash of a ValuJet DC-9 in the Everglades was called off Sunday, local fire and rescue authorities said. Emergency workers focused instead on the recovery of bodies and wreckage.(288K QuickTime movie)
The search stopped when it became apparent that no survivors would be found, said Luis Fernandez of Metro-Dade Fire-Rescue. "We have not found any survivors," he said.
Searchers planned to use a rocky road atop an embankment about 300 yards from the crash site to gain access to the wreckage instead of building a new road, said Lt. Pat Brickman of the Metro-Dade Fire-Rescue.
It was unclear whether some paving would be required so that heavy equipment could be brought in.
ValuJet on Sunday released a complete list of the 109 people aboard the plane, including 104 passengers and five crew members.(Complete list of passengers and crew)
At a Sunday news conference, ValuJet president and founder Lewis Jordan, described the pilot, Capt.Candalyn Kubeck, as "very experienced, very well-trained, very competent."
Jordan also repeated his belief that the plane had no safety problems, saying the company would have voluntarily grounded it if any mechanical trouble had been found.
Swamp may be dammed
The National Transportation Safety Board was considering bringing in a portable dam so that hundreds of yards of swamp where the plane went down could be drained, Brickman said.
There were concerns about protecting rescue workers trying to extricate bodies and parts of the submerged plane from the water and muck, which together are up to 10 feet deep.
"The fear is as much for divers' safety as anything else out there," Brickman said. Officials planned to bring in a refrigerated truck as a temporary morgue.
Aviation fuel from the plane had dissipated, and no longer posed a threat to searchers, he added. Officials had no plans to use volunteers in the search until they learned more about conditions.
"It's very eerie to recognize that there's that large of an aircraft, a DC-9, down under the mud," said Chief R.D. Paulison of the Metro-Dade Fire Rescue team.
Flight 592, en route from Miami to Atlanta, crashed about 12 miles northwest of Miami International Airport. The cause of the crash was unknown.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Road to be built at plane crash site - May 12, 1996
- Families, loved ones in shock - May 12, 1996
- 109 feared dead in ValuJet crash - May 11, 1996
Related sites:
- Federal Aviation Administration
- ValuJet Homepage
- Miami International Airport
- United States Coast Guard Home Page
- The US Department of Transportation
Related newsgroups:
FeedbackSend us your comments.Selected responses are posted daily. |
Copyright © 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
External sites are not endorsed by
CNN Interactive.