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crash site

Flight data recorder recovered

Records show plane plummeted from sky

May 14, 1996
Web posted at: 12:45 a.m. EDT

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- ValuJet Flight 592 apparently plummeted 7,500 feet into the Florida Everglades in its last 40 seconds of flight, according to radar records disclosed Monday night.

Francis

The radar records were presented during a news conference by National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Robert Francis who described it as preliminary data.

Francis announced that the plane's flight data recorder was recovered from the murky waters of the crash site Monday and transported to Washington for analysis.

"This is as important as anything we can have," said Francis "We have reason to be encouraged that there will be good data on it."


flight data recorder after recovery

The flight data recorder could show the plane's altitude, air speed, what direction it was heading and the rate of climb and descent. Still missing is the cockpit voice recorder, which may do more to help investigators learn the cause of the crash.

The plane crashed in the Everglades Saturday about 16 miles from Miami International Airport after the pilot reported smoke in the cabin and cockpit. The cause of the crash that killed 109 people is not known, but clues are beginning to emerge.

"An early inspection of both engines indicates that there's no projectile damage apparent and thus, apparently no catastrophic failure of the engines," Francis said adding that the engines would be removed from the water and carefully analyzed. (408K AIFF or WAV sound)

Among the parts of the plane located: the plane's engines, cargo door and a stair.

Recovery of remains proves difficult

Recovery crews worked throughout the day to retrieve parts of the plane as well as the remains of the victims. Rescue workers have not found any intact bodies, only body parts. The largest body part discovered so far is a knee.

Due to the nature of the crash, the remains of many of those killed may never be identified, a further blow to families of the victims.

Davis

"I do not anticipate there's going to be a significant number of identifiable parts of people, " said Dr. Joseph Davis, former medical examiner for Dade County, Florida, who is taking part in the investigation. (208K AIFF or WAV sound)

Many of the searchers are calling it the most difficult crash scene they had ever encountered. (394K AIFF or WAV sound) How to go about the search amid the swamp's sludge has stumped investigators. Twenty-eight rescue experts held a conference call Sunday to discuss methods, but no one could agree on a set plan, Francis said.

A proposal to build temporary dams to drain the area appears to be impractical.

ValuJet stock falls

Jordan

In the wake of the crash, ValuJet Airlines stock dropped sharply Monday, the first day of trading since the crash and also the first day of intensified federal scrutiny of the Atlanta-based carrier. It closed on the Nasdaq Stock Market down $4.18 3/4 a share at $13.68 3/4.

ValuJet President Lewis Jordan said he welcomes the additional scrutiny and is putting passenger safety above all other concerns. Speaking on CNN's Larry King Live, he said his airline has canceled 18 flights on Monday. He also said the airline is checking all mechanical problems, no matter how minor. (559K AIFF or WAV sound)

He added that as of Sunday 100 people had called to cancel reservations on ValuJet after the crash. The Atlanta-based budget airline transports about 20,000 passengers per day.

CNN Correspondents John Zarrella, Robert Vito and Jeff Flock, the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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