1 00:00:03,203 --> 00:00:05,672 Man: A large jet aircraft has just crashed out here. 2 00:00:05,739 --> 00:00:07,874 Large, like airliner size. 3 00:00:07,941 --> 00:00:10,610 Man: You could smell the jet fuel, 4 00:00:10,677 --> 00:00:12,479 you could smell the hydraulic fluid, 5 00:00:12,545 --> 00:00:15,014 you could smell death. 6 00:00:17,817 --> 00:00:20,754 Man: We're going to scour this swamp quadrant by quadrant. 7 00:00:20,820 --> 00:00:24,357 Narrator: NTSB investigators face an unprecedented challenge. 8 00:00:24,424 --> 00:00:27,293 Man: My first thought is: How am I going to pull this off? 9 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:29,195 Narrator: It's up to Greg Feith and his team 10 00:00:29,262 --> 00:00:32,432 to figure out why Valujet flight 592 11 00:00:32,499 --> 00:00:33,533 erupted into flames... 12 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:34,667 Pilot: Fire! 13 00:00:34,734 --> 00:00:36,603 Narrator: ...just minutes after takeoff. 14 00:00:38,705 --> 00:00:40,740 Man: Okay, let's start it up. 15 00:00:40,807 --> 00:00:42,275 We had a raging fire. 16 00:00:42,342 --> 00:00:46,179 Man: We almost destroyed their test facility. 17 00:00:46,246 --> 00:00:48,915 Man: The Secretary of Transportation lost his job. 18 00:00:48,982 --> 00:00:51,451 The Administrator of the FAA lost his job 19 00:00:51,518 --> 00:00:52,986 because of this one accident. 20 00:00:53,052 --> 00:00:54,487 Flight Attendant: We're completely on fire! 21 00:00:58,691 --> 00:01:00,527 Pilot: Mayday, mayday! 22 00:01:24,350 --> 00:01:25,485 Narrator: It's been six months 23 00:01:25,552 --> 00:01:29,155 since Florida's worst aviation disaster. 24 00:01:31,491 --> 00:01:34,093 Woman: Valujet forced many people in this agency 25 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:36,796 to ask some very tough questions. 26 00:01:36,863 --> 00:01:38,731 Narrator: Federal hearings into the fiery crash 27 00:01:38,798 --> 00:01:41,067 of Valujet flight 592 28 00:01:41,134 --> 00:01:44,270 are filled with controversy and recrimination. 29 00:01:44,337 --> 00:01:47,740 Woman: I'm the mother of the captain of Valujet 592, 30 00:01:47,807 --> 00:01:50,577 Captain Candalyn Chamberlain Kubeck, 31 00:01:50,643 --> 00:01:51,945 and I am very angry. 32 00:01:52,011 --> 00:01:53,746 Malcolm Brenner: This was one of these historic cases 33 00:01:53,813 --> 00:01:55,048 that had a tremendous amount 34 00:01:55,114 --> 00:01:58,017 of public attention and public concern. 35 00:01:58,084 --> 00:01:59,619 Woman: I have always thought this crash 36 00:01:59,686 --> 00:02:03,723 was very preventable and very senseless. 37 00:02:03,790 --> 00:02:06,960 Mother: Valujet 592 fell out of the sky 38 00:02:07,026 --> 00:02:11,030 because of a complete breakdown of the system. 39 00:02:11,097 --> 00:02:13,900 Narrator: The federal aviation administration is under attack 40 00:02:13,967 --> 00:02:16,302 for failing to implement safety recommendations 41 00:02:16,369 --> 00:02:21,741 made eight years ago after another onboard fire. 42 00:02:21,808 --> 00:02:24,644 In 1988, an American Airlines crew 43 00:02:24,711 --> 00:02:27,180 managed to land their burning DC-9 44 00:02:27,247 --> 00:02:30,550 and save the lives of all 120 passengers. 45 00:02:32,652 --> 00:02:34,621 Man: Had the Federal Aviation Administration 46 00:02:34,687 --> 00:02:37,323 required fire and smoke detection 47 00:02:37,390 --> 00:02:40,159 and/or fire extinguishment systems, 48 00:02:40,226 --> 00:02:44,230 as the safety board recommended in 1988, 49 00:02:44,297 --> 00:02:49,068 Valujet flight 592 would not have crashed. 50 00:02:52,071 --> 00:02:54,707 Narrator: The 105 passengers who were put in danger 51 00:02:54,774 --> 00:02:56,209 by that bureaucratic failure... 52 00:02:56,276 --> 00:02:58,378 Flight Attendant: 11A and B. 53 00:02:58,444 --> 00:03:00,446 Narrator: ...boarded a Valujet DC-9 54 00:03:00,513 --> 00:03:04,050 on the morning of may 11, 1996. 55 00:03:07,053 --> 00:03:12,158 Flight 592 is a 1 1/2-hour trip from Miami to Atlanta, Georgia. 56 00:03:15,261 --> 00:03:17,664 Flight Attendant: Let me help you with that. 57 00:03:21,601 --> 00:03:25,171 Jerome Chandler: Valujet was one of the first low cost carriers. 58 00:03:25,238 --> 00:03:26,773 People, instead of driving, 59 00:03:26,839 --> 00:03:30,944 they were getting on this low-fare blue and white airplane 60 00:03:31,010 --> 00:03:32,979 with the cartoon character. 61 00:03:33,046 --> 00:03:36,583 Woman: There's some little, little hair clips in there, too. 62 00:03:39,552 --> 00:03:43,423 Narrator: It's the crew's second flight of the day on this plane. 63 00:03:45,391 --> 00:03:50,496 In command of flight 592 is 35-year-old Candalyn Kubeck. 64 00:03:52,098 --> 00:03:54,133 Captain Kubeck is an experienced pilot 65 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:57,036 with nearly 9,000 flight hours. 66 00:03:57,103 --> 00:03:59,839 Richard Hazen: Okay... 67 00:03:59,906 --> 00:04:04,811 Narrator: The first officer is a former Air Force pilot, 68 00:04:04,877 --> 00:04:08,147 52-year-old Richard Hazen. 69 00:04:08,214 --> 00:04:10,583 Hazen: Clear to start? Candalyn Kubeck: Proceed. 70 00:04:13,519 --> 00:04:14,954 Hazen: Shoulder harness? 71 00:04:15,021 --> 00:04:16,422 Kubeck: On. 72 00:04:16,489 --> 00:04:18,925 Hazen: Parking brakes? 73 00:04:18,992 --> 00:04:21,294 Kubeck: On. 74 00:04:21,361 --> 00:04:22,595 Narrator: Today's flight is loaded 75 00:04:22,662 --> 00:04:26,099 with almost 4,409 pounds of cargo 76 00:04:26,165 --> 00:04:27,900 which includes passenger luggage, 77 00:04:27,967 --> 00:04:31,437 Valujet company material and U.S. Mail. 78 00:04:34,374 --> 00:04:38,878 The crew must sign off on all cargo loaded onboard. 79 00:04:38,945 --> 00:04:40,880 With the paperwork complete... 80 00:04:40,947 --> 00:04:42,148 Hazen: There you go. 81 00:04:42,215 --> 00:04:46,052 Narrator: ...they prepare to taxi to the runway. 82 00:04:46,119 --> 00:04:51,090 Controller: Critter 592, taxi to runway niner-left. 83 00:04:51,157 --> 00:04:53,893 Hazen: Nine-left, critter 592. 84 00:04:56,629 --> 00:05:00,133 Narrator: The DC-9 is 27 years old. 85 00:05:00,199 --> 00:05:05,972 It has more than 68,000 hours of flight time. 86 00:05:06,039 --> 00:05:08,908 On the flight into Miami from Atlanta that day, 87 00:05:08,975 --> 00:05:13,413 the autopilot wasn't working, and the P.A. System was broken. 88 00:05:13,479 --> 00:05:18,017 Kubeck: You want to test out the P.A., talk to the people? 89 00:05:18,084 --> 00:05:20,453 Hazen: Ladies and gentlemen, from the cockpit 90 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:24,023 we're in a hold right now for crossing traffic on the ground. 91 00:05:24,090 --> 00:05:28,361 Narrator: Mechanics in Miami were able to fix the P.A. 92 00:05:28,428 --> 00:05:32,231 Flight attendant: It works. We can hear you loud and clear. 93 00:05:32,298 --> 00:05:37,270 Controller: Critter 592, runway 9-left cleared for takeoff. 94 00:05:40,807 --> 00:05:43,176 Narrator: But repairs to the autopilot will have to wait. 95 00:05:43,242 --> 00:05:45,611 Kubeck: Set takeoff power. 96 00:05:45,678 --> 00:05:47,113 Narrator: Once the DC-9 is back 97 00:05:47,180 --> 00:05:49,682 at airline headquarters in Atlanta... 98 00:05:49,749 --> 00:05:51,084 Hazen: Power is set. 99 00:05:51,150 --> 00:05:56,022 Narrator: ...mechanics there will work on the problem. 100 00:05:56,089 --> 00:05:57,657 Hazen: Rotate. 101 00:06:06,899 --> 00:06:10,770 Chandler: The sky was relatively benign that may day. 102 00:06:10,837 --> 00:06:14,340 And they were just looking forward to getting home. 103 00:06:14,407 --> 00:06:15,742 Hazen: Positive rate. 104 00:06:15,808 --> 00:06:19,912 Chandler: There was no portent at all about that flight. 105 00:06:19,979 --> 00:06:21,547 Kubeck: Gear up. 106 00:06:21,614 --> 00:06:23,015 Narrator: Without the autopilot 107 00:06:23,082 --> 00:06:28,488 the pilots will manually fly the aircraft for the return flight. 108 00:06:28,554 --> 00:06:33,159 It's an inconvenience, but not all that unusual, nor unsafe. 109 00:06:42,769 --> 00:06:43,870 Kubeck: What was that? 110 00:06:43,936 --> 00:06:45,805 Hazen: I don't know. 111 00:06:47,273 --> 00:06:49,442 Kubeck: We've got some electrical problem. 112 00:06:49,509 --> 00:06:52,445 Hazen: Yeah. That battery charger's kicking in. 113 00:06:52,512 --> 00:06:55,748 Narrator: The plane's batteries are draining fast. 114 00:06:55,815 --> 00:06:57,884 Captain Kubeck worries she could lose power 115 00:06:57,950 --> 00:07:01,788 to her instrument panel and other key flight systems. 116 00:07:01,854 --> 00:07:05,358 Kubeck: We're losing everything. 117 00:07:05,424 --> 00:07:07,493 Narrator: Just six minutes after takeoff 118 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:09,462 the crew is facing a barrage of failures. 119 00:07:09,529 --> 00:07:12,832 Controller: Critter 592, contact Miami Center on 1-32-45. 120 00:07:12,899 --> 00:07:14,867 So long. 121 00:07:14,934 --> 00:07:17,470 Narrator: Controllers in Miami believe flight 592 122 00:07:17,537 --> 00:07:21,474 is safely on its way to Atlanta. 123 00:07:21,541 --> 00:07:22,642 But in the cockpit 124 00:07:22,708 --> 00:07:25,611 Captain Kubeck decides to turn around. 125 00:07:25,678 --> 00:07:28,548 Kubeck: We need...we need to go back to Miami. 126 00:07:30,817 --> 00:07:32,819 Woman: Do you smell smoke? 127 00:07:35,855 --> 00:07:37,323 Passengers: Fire! 128 00:07:37,390 --> 00:07:41,727 Narrator: It's suddenly clear why their systems are failing. 129 00:07:41,794 --> 00:07:45,498 Flames are burning through the cabin floor. 130 00:07:49,936 --> 00:07:52,738 Hazen: 592 needs immediate return to Miami. 131 00:07:52,805 --> 00:07:55,041 Narrator: Kubeck has to get the burning plane on the ground 132 00:07:55,107 --> 00:07:56,976 as quickly as possible. 133 00:07:57,043 --> 00:07:58,845 Chandler: You can only shed altitude so fast. 134 00:07:58,911 --> 00:08:01,781 You point it down much more than five or six degrees, 135 00:08:01,848 --> 00:08:03,049 and all of a sudden you can become 136 00:08:03,115 --> 00:08:04,951 in an over speed situation. 137 00:08:05,017 --> 00:08:06,953 You can stress the aircraft. 138 00:08:07,019 --> 00:08:08,554 And you don't want to do that. 139 00:08:08,621 --> 00:08:11,457 Controller: Roger, critter 592. Turn left heading 2-7-0. 140 00:08:11,524 --> 00:08:13,860 Descend and maintain 7,000 feet. 141 00:08:13,926 --> 00:08:15,294 What kind of problem are you having? 142 00:08:15,361 --> 00:08:16,562 Kubeck: Fire! 143 00:08:16,629 --> 00:08:19,131 Hazen: Smoke in the cock... Smoke in the cabin. 144 00:08:19,198 --> 00:08:20,566 Controller: Okay, roger that. 145 00:08:20,633 --> 00:08:23,402 Chandler: The first officer is handling the communication. 146 00:08:23,469 --> 00:08:26,606 The captain is handling the airplane. 147 00:08:26,672 --> 00:08:28,307 They want to try to get on the ground. 148 00:08:28,374 --> 00:08:30,209 They're working in a coordinated fashion-- 149 00:08:30,276 --> 00:08:33,479 classic cockpit resource management. 150 00:08:33,546 --> 00:08:34,914 Nobody is panicking. 151 00:08:34,981 --> 00:08:38,818 Nobody is throwing in the towel. 152 00:08:38,885 --> 00:08:41,020 Kubeck: What altitude? 153 00:08:41,087 --> 00:08:42,788 Hazen: 7,000. 154 00:08:42,855 --> 00:08:44,457 Narrator: Captain Kubeck throttles back 155 00:08:44,524 --> 00:08:46,626 in an attempt to descend. 156 00:08:46,692 --> 00:08:49,061 But the left engine doesn't respond. 157 00:08:49,128 --> 00:08:52,465 It stays at climb power. 158 00:08:52,531 --> 00:08:57,570 As the right engine slows, the plane banks to the right. 159 00:08:57,637 --> 00:09:00,139 She discovers her ailerons still have life 160 00:09:00,206 --> 00:09:03,242 and manages to stabilize the plane. 161 00:09:04,844 --> 00:09:09,282 Chandler: That was a good crew up in the nose of that airplane. 162 00:09:09,348 --> 00:09:12,084 Narrator: Passengers are in a desperate fight for survival. 163 00:09:12,151 --> 00:09:14,587 But there's no escaping the onboard flames, 164 00:09:14,654 --> 00:09:18,858 which are burning at over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. 165 00:09:18,925 --> 00:09:21,494 Toxic smoke is filling the entire cabin. 166 00:09:21,560 --> 00:09:22,995 Chandler: This is heavy, poisonous smoke. 167 00:09:23,062 --> 00:09:25,798 People are breathing it in. 168 00:09:25,865 --> 00:09:27,400 Brenner: When a fire's onboard, 169 00:09:27,466 --> 00:09:30,002 there's a real sense of helplessness. 170 00:09:30,069 --> 00:09:32,338 There's a limited number of things you can do. 171 00:09:32,405 --> 00:09:34,073 Woman: Take short breaths. 172 00:09:34,140 --> 00:09:36,976 Narrator: Less than 10,000 feet above southern Florida's, 173 00:09:37,043 --> 00:09:38,411 Captain Kubeck has the plane 174 00:09:38,477 --> 00:09:41,647 in a tight turn back to the airport. 175 00:09:45,451 --> 00:09:47,653 Flight attendant: We're completely on fire. 176 00:09:50,289 --> 00:09:53,059 Narrator: The crew of flight 592 has only seconds 177 00:09:53,125 --> 00:09:57,196 to get the burning DC-9 onto a runway 178 00:09:57,263 --> 00:09:59,432 before all is lost. 179 00:10:03,602 --> 00:10:05,838 Hazen: Critter 592. 180 00:10:05,905 --> 00:10:07,740 We need the closest airport available! 181 00:10:07,807 --> 00:10:09,075 Controller: Critter 592, 182 00:10:09,141 --> 00:10:11,610 they're gonna be standing by for you. 183 00:10:11,677 --> 00:10:15,348 Narrator: Emergency crews in Miami prepare for the landing. 184 00:10:19,518 --> 00:10:25,124 Chandler: The airplane starts losing altitude progressively. 185 00:10:26,792 --> 00:10:29,495 The airplane is out of control. 186 00:10:33,366 --> 00:10:36,135 Narrator: The first officer's request for an alternate airport 187 00:10:36,202 --> 00:10:39,438 are the last words controllers hear from the crew. 188 00:10:41,073 --> 00:10:43,376 The DC-9 plummets toward the ground 189 00:10:43,442 --> 00:10:45,711 at over 430 miles per hour. 190 00:10:56,722 --> 00:10:58,624 Flight 592 has crashed 191 00:10:58,691 --> 00:11:02,261 into one of the most inhospitable spots on earth-- 192 00:11:02,328 --> 00:11:04,663 the Florida's Everglades. 193 00:11:04,730 --> 00:11:07,233 Man: A large jet aircraft has just crashed out here. 194 00:11:07,299 --> 00:11:09,802 Large, like airliner size. 195 00:11:09,869 --> 00:11:13,072 You need to get your choppers in the air. 196 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:15,941 Narrator: The Everglades covers 197 00:11:16,008 --> 00:11:18,844 much of the southern tip of Florida's: 198 00:11:18,911 --> 00:11:21,947 Hundreds of square miles of shallow swamp, mangroves 199 00:11:22,014 --> 00:11:24,583 and watery grassland. 200 00:11:24,650 --> 00:11:26,352 Just getting to the crash site 201 00:11:26,419 --> 00:11:29,789 will be a huge challenge for rescuers. 202 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:36,395 Miami-Dade police helicopters 203 00:11:36,462 --> 00:11:39,031 find the wreckage of Valujet flight 592 204 00:11:39,098 --> 00:11:42,768 in swampland far from the nearest highway. 205 00:11:42,835 --> 00:11:44,370 Reporter: Federal safety officials say 206 00:11:44,437 --> 00:11:47,640 it's the most difficult recovery operation they've ever faced, 207 00:11:47,706 --> 00:11:49,475 with wreckage strewn like confetti 208 00:11:49,542 --> 00:11:51,944 in a muddy, alligator-infested swamp 209 00:11:52,011 --> 00:11:56,348 that can only be reached by helicopter or air boat. 210 00:11:56,415 --> 00:11:59,118 Man: It's a very waterous, marshy area, 211 00:11:59,185 --> 00:12:01,020 and that's proving difficult to... 212 00:12:01,087 --> 00:12:06,659 To reach people that may... May have survived this crash. 213 00:12:06,725 --> 00:12:08,527 Narrator: Rescuers know that the first hours 214 00:12:08,594 --> 00:12:11,897 of this rescue operation are critical. 215 00:12:15,134 --> 00:12:18,571 In 1972, Eastern Airlines flight 401 216 00:12:18,637 --> 00:12:20,106 crashed into the Everglades, 217 00:12:20,172 --> 00:12:23,109 three miles from the Valujet crash site. 218 00:12:25,211 --> 00:12:26,579 Several passengers drowned 219 00:12:26,645 --> 00:12:29,315 before rescuers could reach them. 220 00:12:32,585 --> 00:12:35,421 Paul toy: To be in the Everglades after the crash, 221 00:12:35,488 --> 00:12:38,691 it was utter devastation, destruction. 222 00:12:38,757 --> 00:12:42,528 The smell, you could smell the jet fuel. 223 00:12:44,864 --> 00:12:46,799 You could smell the hydraulic fluid. 224 00:12:46,866 --> 00:12:49,335 You could smell death. 225 00:12:52,771 --> 00:12:54,673 Narrator: Most of the aircraft 226 00:12:54,740 --> 00:12:58,711 has sunk beneath the surface of the swamp. 227 00:12:58,777 --> 00:13:01,647 Brenner: The wreckage was in the Everglades. 228 00:13:01,714 --> 00:13:03,349 It's a hostile environment. 229 00:13:03,415 --> 00:13:05,985 It wasn't clear at that point how much we'd be able to... 230 00:13:06,051 --> 00:13:10,189 To learn from the wreckage or be able to recover. 231 00:13:10,256 --> 00:13:12,224 Toy: We suited up as best as possible. 232 00:13:12,291 --> 00:13:14,560 We first put on that tyvek suit. 233 00:13:14,627 --> 00:13:17,963 And then we put on an extra sleeve. 234 00:13:18,030 --> 00:13:21,133 Put two surgical gloves on. 235 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:22,668 Put a pair of work gloves on. 236 00:13:22,735 --> 00:13:27,940 And then they duct-taped the work gloves to the tyvek suit. 237 00:13:28,007 --> 00:13:29,675 Narrator: The heavy gear protects rescuers 238 00:13:29,742 --> 00:13:32,945 from spilled fuel and other toxins. 239 00:13:33,012 --> 00:13:34,813 But below the surface of the swamp 240 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:38,150 lurks an even deadlier threat. 241 00:13:38,217 --> 00:13:39,685 Toy: They had to have a sharpshooter 242 00:13:39,752 --> 00:13:43,122 on top of the airboat at all times. 243 00:13:43,189 --> 00:13:46,825 Narrator: The crash site is a nesting grounds for alligators. 244 00:13:53,299 --> 00:13:56,068 Greg Feith: As the divers were walking in the water, 245 00:13:56,135 --> 00:13:58,504 if somebody sighted an alligator, 246 00:13:58,571 --> 00:14:02,074 or you'd hear them hiss in the sawgrass, 247 00:14:02,141 --> 00:14:06,712 they would take potshots to try and scare them away. 248 00:14:06,779 --> 00:14:08,414 Narrator: Just hours after the crash, 249 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,884 officials come to a grim conclusion. 250 00:14:11,951 --> 00:14:16,055 Toy: It doesn't look good that there are any survivors. 251 00:14:19,124 --> 00:14:24,630 Narrator: All 105 passengers onboard flight 592 are dead. 252 00:14:24,697 --> 00:14:29,435 Captain Kubeck, first officer Richard Hazen 253 00:14:29,501 --> 00:14:32,504 and three flight attendants are also dead. 254 00:14:35,407 --> 00:14:39,211 Man: I feel that it's going to be difficult, 255 00:14:39,278 --> 00:14:42,648 if not impossible, to identify everybody. 256 00:14:42,715 --> 00:14:44,316 Brenner: There was no evidence of the airplane. 257 00:14:44,383 --> 00:14:46,118 There was just debris. 258 00:14:46,185 --> 00:14:49,822 Very little present and no evidence of passengers. 259 00:14:49,888 --> 00:14:51,257 Toy: You had to put it out of your mind 260 00:14:51,323 --> 00:14:55,628 what actually you were doing. 261 00:14:55,694 --> 00:14:59,565 You could not think of what it was that you were picking up. 262 00:14:59,632 --> 00:15:01,867 If you did you would be useless, 263 00:15:01,934 --> 00:15:04,403 and you wouldn't be able to do the job. 264 00:15:09,675 --> 00:15:12,044 Chandler: My initial reaction in a situation like that 265 00:15:12,111 --> 00:15:15,347 is just, it's anger. 266 00:15:15,414 --> 00:15:16,949 It's "not again." 267 00:15:17,016 --> 00:15:18,751 It's "how can this happen?" 268 00:15:18,817 --> 00:15:21,954 It's "what happened?" "Why?" 269 00:15:24,390 --> 00:15:25,958 Narrator: The morning after the crash, 270 00:15:26,025 --> 00:15:29,295 NTSB investigators join local and Federal Police agents 271 00:15:29,361 --> 00:15:32,131 at the site. 272 00:15:32,197 --> 00:15:34,233 They know the pilots of flight 592 273 00:15:34,300 --> 00:15:37,369 reported smoke in the cabin. 274 00:15:37,436 --> 00:15:39,905 Now they need to find out what caused it. 275 00:15:39,972 --> 00:15:42,841 Feith: Alright! Let's get to work. 276 00:15:42,908 --> 00:15:46,812 Narrator: The team is led by veteran investigator Greg Feith. 277 00:15:46,879 --> 00:15:48,981 Feith: You got to step back, take a deep breath 278 00:15:49,048 --> 00:15:50,649 and then start to prioritize: 279 00:15:50,716 --> 00:15:52,484 Okay, what do I have to do now? 280 00:15:52,551 --> 00:15:56,522 And then utilize the resources to make that happen. 281 00:15:56,588 --> 00:15:58,724 It's showtime. Here we go. 282 00:15:58,791 --> 00:16:01,427 Man: I'll let Greg answer that, but I... 283 00:16:01,493 --> 00:16:02,895 Feith: There's actually no way to tell 284 00:16:02,961 --> 00:16:04,596 if the pilots were conscious or unconscious 285 00:16:04,663 --> 00:16:05,898 at the time of impact. 286 00:16:05,964 --> 00:16:09,435 My first thought is: How am I going to pull this off? 287 00:16:09,501 --> 00:16:10,936 Narrator: Feith faces intense pressure 288 00:16:11,003 --> 00:16:13,405 to come up with answers, and quickly. 289 00:16:13,472 --> 00:16:15,974 Bill Clinton: I'm determined to do everything I can 290 00:16:16,041 --> 00:16:19,645 to make sure that American aviation 291 00:16:19,712 --> 00:16:22,181 is the safest in the world. 292 00:16:24,616 --> 00:16:26,919 Narrator: The NTSB briefs the many volunteers 293 00:16:26,985 --> 00:16:29,455 who've come to help recover the wreckage. 294 00:16:29,521 --> 00:16:31,290 Feith: Need your eyes. 295 00:16:31,357 --> 00:16:32,825 Now we've drawn up a grid. 296 00:16:32,891 --> 00:16:36,028 We're going to scour this swamp quadrant by quadrant. 297 00:16:36,095 --> 00:16:38,197 Everybody's looking to me for the answers 298 00:16:38,263 --> 00:16:40,666 because I am in charge of the investigation. 299 00:16:40,733 --> 00:16:42,534 What are we going to do? What do you want us to do? 300 00:16:42,601 --> 00:16:43,669 Where do you want us to go? 301 00:16:43,736 --> 00:16:44,870 Narrator: The first priority 302 00:16:44,937 --> 00:16:48,674 is to find the aircraft's two black boxes. 303 00:16:48,741 --> 00:16:51,844 Feith: This is what we're looking for. 304 00:16:51,910 --> 00:16:55,080 This here is the data recorder. 305 00:16:55,147 --> 00:16:57,483 And this here is the voice recorder. 306 00:16:57,549 --> 00:17:00,252 You find one, you'll probably find the other one close by. 307 00:17:00,319 --> 00:17:02,488 Narrator: From the CVR, investigators hope to hear 308 00:17:02,554 --> 00:17:04,857 the last sounds in the cockpit. 309 00:17:04,923 --> 00:17:06,158 Pilot conversation... 310 00:17:06,225 --> 00:17:07,893 Kubeck: We need...we need to go back to Miami. 311 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:09,862 Narrator: ...and any alarms that might help identify 312 00:17:09,928 --> 00:17:13,499 where the smoke originated. 313 00:17:13,565 --> 00:17:15,267 The flight data recorder should reveal 314 00:17:15,334 --> 00:17:18,537 how a fire might have spread, 315 00:17:18,604 --> 00:17:21,807 through the sequence of failures it likely caused. 316 00:17:26,311 --> 00:17:29,148 Each box holds clues that could help investigators 317 00:17:29,214 --> 00:17:31,617 uncover the precise cause of the crash. 318 00:17:31,683 --> 00:17:36,088 Feith: If you find one, the cold beer's on me. 319 00:17:36,155 --> 00:17:39,892 Narrator: The black boxes emit a constant radio signal. 320 00:17:39,958 --> 00:17:41,593 Searchers will use a sonar scanner 321 00:17:41,660 --> 00:17:43,562 to pick up that signal. 322 00:17:47,599 --> 00:17:51,336 Feith: How soon can we get out there with the sonar? 323 00:17:51,403 --> 00:17:52,471 The sonar's on its way. 324 00:17:52,538 --> 00:17:53,906 We'll be able to pick up those pingers 325 00:17:53,972 --> 00:17:56,909 that hopefully identify where, in fact, 326 00:17:56,975 --> 00:17:59,178 those boxes lie in the wreckage. 327 00:17:59,244 --> 00:18:00,779 Narrator: But navy technicians soon find 328 00:18:00,846 --> 00:18:05,384 that their sophisticated gear is no match for the Everglades. 329 00:18:06,785 --> 00:18:08,554 Feith: Side scan sonar didn't work 330 00:18:08,620 --> 00:18:10,289 because the sawgrass is so dense 331 00:18:10,355 --> 00:18:13,392 it can't see through the sawgrass. 332 00:18:16,528 --> 00:18:21,600 What really worked for us was going back to the basics. 333 00:18:21,667 --> 00:18:24,203 We had a line of what we call divers 334 00:18:24,269 --> 00:18:27,439 that had to walk basically shoulder length apart, 335 00:18:27,506 --> 00:18:31,543 and we would cover specific areas, probing 336 00:18:31,610 --> 00:18:33,011 until we hit something hard. 337 00:18:33,078 --> 00:18:37,282 It ended up being human power that really helped us recover 338 00:18:37,349 --> 00:18:40,419 better than 75% of the aircraft. 339 00:18:42,721 --> 00:18:45,023 Narrator: As the Everglades search continues, 340 00:18:45,090 --> 00:18:48,727 investigators in Miami dig through flight 592's records 341 00:18:48,794 --> 00:18:52,397 looking for clues as to what might have caused a fire. 342 00:18:55,367 --> 00:18:58,604 They soon learn that the flight was delayed earlier in the day 343 00:18:58,670 --> 00:19:00,939 due to minor electrical problems. 344 00:19:01,006 --> 00:19:02,407 The find raises concern 345 00:19:02,474 --> 00:19:06,979 that an electrical fire brought down the plane. 346 00:19:07,045 --> 00:19:08,981 Brenner: We were looking at any explanation. 347 00:19:09,047 --> 00:19:11,850 There could have been a fault in the wiring or a short circuit. 348 00:19:11,917 --> 00:19:17,623 And we realized it's going to be a very difficult investigation. 349 00:19:17,689 --> 00:19:21,827 Narrator: Recovery teams continue to battle intense heat. 350 00:19:21,894 --> 00:19:26,932 Feith: Florida, in may, 90 degrees, 95% humidity-- 351 00:19:26,999 --> 00:19:32,504 we had to worry about how long can you be in that heat? 352 00:19:32,571 --> 00:19:35,307 Toy: And you're trudging through and you're in your waders 353 00:19:35,374 --> 00:19:39,211 and you're stepping on stuff. 354 00:19:39,278 --> 00:19:40,512 You have to bend down 355 00:19:40,579 --> 00:19:43,315 and you have to pick it up and see what it is. 356 00:19:43,382 --> 00:19:44,550 Feith: There were times where, you know, 357 00:19:44,616 --> 00:19:46,652 you think you're picking up a wire bundle, 358 00:19:46,718 --> 00:19:47,819 and it was a snake. 359 00:19:47,886 --> 00:19:52,057 You're picking up the back end of a snake. 360 00:19:52,124 --> 00:19:55,294 So it was all of those things that made this probably 361 00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:57,462 one of the most challenging environments 362 00:19:57,529 --> 00:20:02,334 for an accident investigation to be conducted. 363 00:20:02,401 --> 00:20:05,270 Narrator: NTSB Fire Investigator Merritt Birky studies 364 00:20:05,337 --> 00:20:09,975 masses of tangled wiring from the crash site. 365 00:20:10,042 --> 00:20:13,178 Merritt Birky: I was sent down there to determine the cause 366 00:20:13,245 --> 00:20:16,782 of that in-flight fire. 367 00:20:16,848 --> 00:20:20,085 Narrator: When faulty wiring sparks a fire, 368 00:20:20,152 --> 00:20:24,122 electrical arcing causes the wires to burn and melt. 369 00:20:24,189 --> 00:20:26,592 Birky: When we recovered more of the electrical harness 370 00:20:26,658 --> 00:20:29,461 on the plane, we saw some damage there, 371 00:20:29,528 --> 00:20:34,433 but it wasn't evidence of electrical arcing on the wires. 372 00:20:34,499 --> 00:20:38,437 It was all external damage to the insulation. 373 00:20:38,503 --> 00:20:39,838 Narrator: The careful examination 374 00:20:39,905 --> 00:20:43,742 rules out faulty wiring as a potential cause of the fire. 375 00:20:49,881 --> 00:20:50,983 Another challenge-- 376 00:20:51,049 --> 00:20:54,219 the Everglades is not a stagnant swamp. 377 00:20:54,286 --> 00:20:56,755 It has a current that flows out to sea. 378 00:20:56,822 --> 00:20:58,957 Feith: One of the unique things about the Florida's Everglades 379 00:20:59,024 --> 00:21:00,692 is that it's water. 380 00:21:00,759 --> 00:21:02,594 And it's constantly in motion. 381 00:21:02,661 --> 00:21:04,129 Narrator: That current makes the job 382 00:21:04,196 --> 00:21:07,532 of tracking down aircraft debris even harder. 383 00:21:07,599 --> 00:21:10,936 Feith: Well, as the water moves, and basically the tide 384 00:21:11,003 --> 00:21:12,804 goes up and down, if you will, 385 00:21:12,871 --> 00:21:14,172 some of those parts that were trapped 386 00:21:14,239 --> 00:21:15,674 under water in the sawgrass 387 00:21:15,741 --> 00:21:17,509 would break loose and float to the surface. 388 00:21:17,576 --> 00:21:19,277 You could go back and find more parts 389 00:21:19,344 --> 00:21:22,114 than the first day you were in that grid. 390 00:21:26,251 --> 00:21:28,253 Narrator: Two days into the investigation, 391 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:31,390 Feith finally catches a break. 392 00:21:35,527 --> 00:21:37,596 Feith: A hot damn. 393 00:21:37,663 --> 00:21:40,399 We found ourselves a box. 394 00:21:40,465 --> 00:21:43,101 It was sitting on the bottom in the mud partially submerged 395 00:21:43,168 --> 00:21:44,936 under about three to four feet of water. 396 00:21:45,003 --> 00:21:47,406 Feith: One of the Metro-Dade Police Fire Rescue folks 397 00:21:47,472 --> 00:21:49,107 was walking their grid 398 00:21:49,174 --> 00:21:53,145 and actually stepped on one of the orange boxes. 399 00:21:56,882 --> 00:21:59,584 The whole accident site, all of the investigators, 400 00:21:59,651 --> 00:22:01,853 everybody comes to a halt as soon as the word spreads 401 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:03,955 that we think we got a recorder. 402 00:22:04,022 --> 00:22:05,590 Reporter: Officials wasted no time 403 00:22:05,657 --> 00:22:08,026 bringing it out of the swamp into a police car 404 00:22:08,093 --> 00:22:10,662 and onto a plane for Washington. 405 00:22:12,597 --> 00:22:17,202 Narrator: The aging DC-9 was equipped with a primitive FDR. 406 00:22:17,269 --> 00:22:20,472 It recorded only 11 flight parameters, 407 00:22:20,539 --> 00:22:26,378 compared to the hundreds recorded by modern units. 408 00:22:26,445 --> 00:22:28,246 But the next morning, when Feith studies 409 00:22:28,313 --> 00:22:30,716 the preliminary results from Washington, 410 00:22:30,782 --> 00:22:35,153 he finds a clue that may point to the origin of the fire. 411 00:22:35,220 --> 00:22:39,758 Feith: Dive 800 feet and back in three seconds. 412 00:22:39,825 --> 00:22:43,662 It's impossible. 413 00:22:43,729 --> 00:22:47,566 Narrator: The FDR recorded a sudden increase in air pressure. 414 00:22:47,632 --> 00:22:49,668 Feith: What we found on the flight data recorder, 415 00:22:49,735 --> 00:22:52,704 that records the parameter of the static pressure, 416 00:22:52,771 --> 00:22:54,439 was that there was a bump. 417 00:22:54,506 --> 00:22:59,077 It spiked, briefly, and then went back to a nominal value. 418 00:22:59,144 --> 00:23:00,412 Narrator: Sensors on the fuselage 419 00:23:00,479 --> 00:23:03,548 measure outside air pressure. 420 00:23:03,615 --> 00:23:06,651 Normally the pressure decreases with altitude. 421 00:23:06,718 --> 00:23:09,187 But as flight 592 was climbing 422 00:23:09,254 --> 00:23:12,724 the pressure briefly went up, not down. 423 00:23:12,791 --> 00:23:16,128 A DC-9 cannot dive and climb that quickly. 424 00:23:16,194 --> 00:23:18,730 The numbers don't make sense. 425 00:23:18,797 --> 00:23:19,731 Feith: Look at this. 426 00:23:19,798 --> 00:23:21,700 We really didn't know what-- 427 00:23:21,767 --> 00:23:25,437 I mean, we theorized about a variety of different things. 428 00:23:25,504 --> 00:23:27,806 Could have been an explosion onboard? 429 00:23:27,873 --> 00:23:31,109 Narrator: A shockwave moving outward from inside the aircraft 430 00:23:31,176 --> 00:23:34,880 can cause a sudden spike in external pressure. 431 00:23:34,946 --> 00:23:36,848 Feith: And of course you start thinking, 432 00:23:36,915 --> 00:23:39,351 hmm, an explosion could do that. 433 00:23:39,417 --> 00:23:41,386 So do we have a bomb? 434 00:23:43,522 --> 00:23:47,692 Narrator: With an onboard explosion a real possibility, 435 00:23:47,759 --> 00:23:49,528 Merritt Birky examines the wreckage 436 00:23:49,594 --> 00:23:54,399 to see if he can figure out where the fire originated. 437 00:23:54,466 --> 00:23:56,067 Birky: So we had a lot of... 438 00:23:56,134 --> 00:24:00,038 A lot of parts coming in that were damaged, 439 00:24:00,105 --> 00:24:03,675 almost all limited to the cargo compartment. 440 00:24:03,742 --> 00:24:06,645 We had melted structure components 441 00:24:06,711 --> 00:24:09,848 that were in the overhead of the cargo compartment, 442 00:24:09,915 --> 00:24:16,755 which made up the floor of the passenger compartment. 443 00:24:16,822 --> 00:24:21,193 And then we also had some seat tracks for the passengers 444 00:24:21,259 --> 00:24:23,929 that were burned and melted. 445 00:24:23,995 --> 00:24:30,535 We determined that the fire was very intense 446 00:24:30,602 --> 00:24:33,738 up in the upper area of the cargo compartment 447 00:24:33,805 --> 00:24:36,208 on the left side. 448 00:24:41,813 --> 00:24:44,216 Narrator: Birky makes an unusual discovery. 449 00:24:44,282 --> 00:24:46,751 Birky: It's stainless steel. 450 00:24:46,818 --> 00:24:49,921 You don't normally see burned stainless steel 451 00:24:49,988 --> 00:24:51,623 in an in-flight fire. 452 00:24:51,690 --> 00:24:53,525 Narrator: Planes are made of lightweight material 453 00:24:53,592 --> 00:24:59,064 like aluminum and titanium, not stainless steel. 454 00:24:59,130 --> 00:25:01,700 The burned metal raises a question: 455 00:25:01,766 --> 00:25:05,971 Just what kind of cargo was onboard the plane? 456 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:10,742 Investigator Malcolm Brenner needs to know 457 00:25:10,809 --> 00:25:15,480 exactly what type of cargo Valujet flight 592 was carrying. 458 00:25:15,547 --> 00:25:17,949 Brenner: The operations group more and more became concerned 459 00:25:18,016 --> 00:25:22,287 about the cargo that was loaded on the airplane 460 00:25:22,354 --> 00:25:26,358 and what possible significance it could have to the accident. 461 00:25:26,424 --> 00:25:28,226 Narrator: The cargo documentation lists 462 00:25:28,293 --> 00:25:34,633 three airplane tires and five boxes of empty oxygen canisters. 463 00:25:34,699 --> 00:25:38,536 Brenner: The operations group found that the manifest, 464 00:25:38,603 --> 00:25:42,807 which indicated that there were oxygen canisters-- 465 00:25:42,874 --> 00:25:44,943 empty oxygen canisters-- in the cargo, 466 00:25:45,010 --> 00:25:49,481 signed for by the first officer. 467 00:25:49,547 --> 00:25:50,815 Hazen: There you go. 468 00:25:50,882 --> 00:25:53,752 Brenner: When Greg Feith was available, I briefed him. 469 00:25:53,818 --> 00:25:56,688 Okay, company material: 470 00:25:56,755 --> 00:26:01,326 Three aircraft tires and five boxes of parts. 471 00:26:01,393 --> 00:26:02,560 Feith: Malcolm is a pilot. 472 00:26:02,627 --> 00:26:05,463 He has an understanding of aviation. 473 00:26:05,530 --> 00:26:07,132 He's a smart guy. 474 00:26:07,198 --> 00:26:08,533 Brenner: It's the contents of the cardboard boxes 475 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:10,235 that confuse me. 476 00:26:10,302 --> 00:26:13,571 144 empty oxygen canisters. 477 00:26:13,638 --> 00:26:15,540 Feith: Wait. How many of them? 478 00:26:15,607 --> 00:26:17,042 Brenner: 144. 479 00:26:17,108 --> 00:26:19,444 Feith: An oxygen canister is a green bottle, 480 00:26:19,511 --> 00:26:22,380 very large bottle, that supplies oxygen 481 00:26:22,447 --> 00:26:26,618 to the flight crew and the passengers. 482 00:26:26,685 --> 00:26:28,753 There's no way, Malcolm. 483 00:26:28,820 --> 00:26:30,288 You can't fit that many on a plane. 484 00:26:30,355 --> 00:26:32,357 We all took a pause and said: 485 00:26:32,424 --> 00:26:34,960 Why would you be carrying 144 486 00:26:35,026 --> 00:26:38,596 of these big green oxygen cylinders? 487 00:26:41,666 --> 00:26:44,202 Malcolm asked a very innocent question. 488 00:26:44,269 --> 00:26:45,303 Brenner: What exactly do you think they mean 489 00:26:45,370 --> 00:26:46,805 by "oxygen canister"? 490 00:26:46,871 --> 00:26:49,007 Feith: And that's really what triggered the investigators 491 00:26:49,074 --> 00:26:50,542 to step back and say: 492 00:26:50,608 --> 00:26:54,446 We need to verify exactly what was meant. 493 00:27:02,287 --> 00:27:06,291 Narrator: At the crash site, the recovery work continues. 494 00:27:06,358 --> 00:27:10,195 The debris includes dozens of small metal cylinders-- 495 00:27:10,261 --> 00:27:12,764 parts not from the DC-9. 496 00:27:12,831 --> 00:27:15,867 Investigators now understand what was in the boxes 497 00:27:15,934 --> 00:27:18,303 listed on the cargo manifest. 498 00:27:18,370 --> 00:27:20,705 Feith: We found out that it was not a canister 499 00:27:20,772 --> 00:27:23,174 but in fact an oxygen generator. 500 00:27:23,241 --> 00:27:25,410 Narrator: Oxygen generators are small devices 501 00:27:25,477 --> 00:27:28,813 installed above passenger seats of certain airlines. 502 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:31,383 They're connected to oxygen masks that drop down 503 00:27:31,449 --> 00:27:36,121 in the event of cabin depressurization. 504 00:27:36,187 --> 00:27:38,289 Pulling down on the mask yanks a lanyard, 505 00:27:38,356 --> 00:27:40,658 which slides out a retaining pin. 506 00:27:40,725 --> 00:27:42,460 That triggers a chemical reaction 507 00:27:42,527 --> 00:27:45,397 that generates breathable oxygen. 508 00:27:45,463 --> 00:27:48,800 Feith: The masks are attached to nipples 509 00:27:48,867 --> 00:27:51,136 on this oxygen generator. 510 00:27:51,202 --> 00:27:52,570 That's the supplemental oxygen 511 00:27:52,637 --> 00:27:54,672 that flows through the tube to the mask. 512 00:27:54,739 --> 00:27:57,542 Narrator: Investigators wonder whether the oxygen generators 513 00:27:57,609 --> 00:27:59,978 that were being carried in the cargo hold 514 00:28:00,045 --> 00:28:01,880 could have caused the fire. 515 00:28:01,946 --> 00:28:05,517 Feith: We had five boxes of these, or 144 of them, 516 00:28:05,583 --> 00:28:09,788 thrown in a box, carried as cargo. 517 00:28:09,854 --> 00:28:12,157 We had to look at, well, if they're carrying these, 518 00:28:12,223 --> 00:28:14,592 and they're supposedly empty, 519 00:28:14,659 --> 00:28:18,630 what danger is there carrying them as cargo? 520 00:28:18,696 --> 00:28:23,001 There's no question. They're clearly listed as empty. 521 00:28:23,068 --> 00:28:26,304 Did they have a potential for creating a fire, 522 00:28:26,371 --> 00:28:28,173 or a fire situation, 523 00:28:28,239 --> 00:28:33,211 that could have jeopardized the safety of this aircraft? 524 00:28:35,146 --> 00:28:36,681 Narrator: As recovery teams continue 525 00:28:36,748 --> 00:28:40,251 to pull oxygen generators from the bottom of the Everglades, 526 00:28:40,318 --> 00:28:44,122 they find that while some are in fact empty... 527 00:28:44,189 --> 00:28:46,424 Feith: This one's never even been triggered. 528 00:28:46,491 --> 00:28:50,261 Narrator: ...many others are full. 529 00:28:50,328 --> 00:28:53,031 Feith: The oxygen generators that we had found 530 00:28:53,098 --> 00:28:54,265 had been damaged. 531 00:28:54,332 --> 00:28:56,167 Some of them were completely flattened. 532 00:28:56,234 --> 00:28:58,203 Some of them were charred and crushed. 533 00:28:58,269 --> 00:29:00,305 Some of them still had the material in 'em, 534 00:29:00,371 --> 00:29:03,641 but the case had been dented and damaged. 535 00:29:06,044 --> 00:29:07,846 Narrator: It's the temperature of the canisters 536 00:29:07,912 --> 00:29:11,749 after they've been triggered that concerns investigators. 537 00:29:13,351 --> 00:29:15,820 Birky: These things get pretty hot, Greg. 538 00:29:15,887 --> 00:29:17,555 Really hot. 539 00:29:20,758 --> 00:29:23,495 Narrator: They can reach 500 degrees Fahrenheit. 540 00:29:23,561 --> 00:29:24,796 That's why in the cabin 541 00:29:24,863 --> 00:29:28,733 they're stored behind a heat-resistant shield. 542 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:30,168 Feith: An oxygen generator 543 00:29:30,235 --> 00:29:32,770 that is not mounted in its proper position 544 00:29:32,837 --> 00:29:36,541 in a heat sink cradle in the passenger service unit 545 00:29:36,608 --> 00:29:38,810 is lethal. 546 00:29:38,877 --> 00:29:42,147 Because if it's anywhere near a combustible material, 547 00:29:42,213 --> 00:29:45,650 you're gonna have a fire. 548 00:29:45,717 --> 00:29:48,086 Narrator: It now seems highly volatile chemicals 549 00:29:48,153 --> 00:29:52,357 were improperly shipped aboard flight 592. 550 00:29:52,423 --> 00:29:55,326 Had the pilots known what was actually onboard, 551 00:29:55,393 --> 00:29:58,696 they likely would not have signed off on the manifest. 552 00:29:58,763 --> 00:30:00,098 Hazen: Here you go. 553 00:30:00,165 --> 00:30:06,204 Narrator: They and their 105 passengers would still be alive. 554 00:30:13,811 --> 00:30:17,749 Four days after the crash of flight 592, 555 00:30:17,815 --> 00:30:23,154 hazardous materials specialist Jim Henderson joins the team. 556 00:30:23,221 --> 00:30:24,522 Jim Henderson: Initial documentation 557 00:30:24,589 --> 00:30:26,357 that we were looking for 558 00:30:26,424 --> 00:30:28,760 was the records of where the chemical oxygen generators 559 00:30:28,826 --> 00:30:34,599 had come from, how they got on the airplane. 560 00:30:34,666 --> 00:30:38,269 Narrator: Henderson reviews the history of the Valujet fleet. 561 00:30:40,605 --> 00:30:43,741 Henderson: We found out that Valujet had recently purchased 562 00:30:43,808 --> 00:30:47,879 three airplanes from other carriers. 563 00:30:47,946 --> 00:30:49,747 Well, I think I know where they came from. 564 00:30:49,814 --> 00:30:52,650 Valujet's work order on these airplanes 565 00:30:52,717 --> 00:30:55,253 basically were to open the plane up, 566 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:59,757 find out what the dates were on the generators. 567 00:30:59,824 --> 00:31:03,261 Narrator: Oxygen generators have a shelf life. 568 00:31:03,328 --> 00:31:05,096 To meet federal safety standards, 569 00:31:05,163 --> 00:31:08,266 any out-of-date generators on the recently purchased planes 570 00:31:08,333 --> 00:31:10,768 needed to be replaced. 571 00:31:12,303 --> 00:31:17,108 That job was given to a company called Sabretech. 572 00:31:17,175 --> 00:31:18,910 Henderson: We spoke to the maintenance personnel, 573 00:31:18,977 --> 00:31:21,179 primarily to find out how these were handled. 574 00:31:21,246 --> 00:31:22,680 Thanks for taking time. 575 00:31:22,747 --> 00:31:24,415 The chemical oxygen generators 576 00:31:24,482 --> 00:31:26,117 had been removed from an airplane. 577 00:31:26,184 --> 00:31:28,019 We wanted to make sure that they were handled 578 00:31:28,086 --> 00:31:31,756 in accordance with their work cards. 579 00:31:31,823 --> 00:31:33,992 Narrator: Henderson learns that Sabretech removed 580 00:31:34,058 --> 00:31:37,061 144 oxygen generators. 581 00:31:38,329 --> 00:31:41,733 Most of them were out of date, but still full. 582 00:31:44,602 --> 00:31:46,604 There are strict guidelines regulating 583 00:31:46,671 --> 00:31:50,541 how oxygen generators are to be removed and shipped safely. 584 00:31:54,178 --> 00:31:56,547 Henderson: The work orders basically described 585 00:31:56,614 --> 00:31:58,449 how to take them off the aircraft 586 00:31:58,516 --> 00:32:02,186 and how to replace the new generators on the aircraft. 587 00:32:02,253 --> 00:32:05,123 Once removed from the aircraft, one of the safety precautions 588 00:32:05,189 --> 00:32:06,758 is to replace the safety cap 589 00:32:06,824 --> 00:32:10,461 that keeps it from accidentally activating. 590 00:32:10,528 --> 00:32:13,031 Mechanic: It says we should put shipping caps on them. 591 00:32:13,097 --> 00:32:14,132 Do we have any? 592 00:32:14,198 --> 00:32:15,366 Brenner: Many of the mechanics 593 00:32:15,433 --> 00:32:16,601 realized how dangerous they were. 594 00:32:16,668 --> 00:32:19,404 The mechanics recognized the need for safety caps. 595 00:32:19,470 --> 00:32:21,372 Several mechanics told us in interviews 596 00:32:21,439 --> 00:32:23,474 that they had advised their supervisors 597 00:32:23,541 --> 00:32:25,777 of the need for safety caps. 598 00:32:25,843 --> 00:32:29,447 Henderson: They look like this. Did you see any? 599 00:32:33,084 --> 00:32:35,086 Mechanic: No. They didn't have any. 600 00:32:35,153 --> 00:32:38,156 And you can't take them off the new ones. 601 00:32:38,222 --> 00:32:39,691 Narrator: Henderson learns 602 00:32:39,757 --> 00:32:42,560 that since they didn't have protective caps, 603 00:32:42,627 --> 00:32:45,296 Sabretech mechanics improvised. 604 00:32:47,532 --> 00:32:48,866 Henderson: The maintenance people 605 00:32:48,933 --> 00:32:50,435 didn't have the safety caps. 606 00:32:50,501 --> 00:32:52,770 One of the other things that was mentioned on the work order 607 00:32:52,837 --> 00:32:54,672 was that they'd take the lanyards 608 00:32:54,739 --> 00:33:00,812 and wrap them around the oxygen generator. 609 00:33:00,878 --> 00:33:02,213 There were several others 610 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:07,852 who felt that the lanyards were unnecessary, 611 00:33:07,919 --> 00:33:12,123 so they actually physically cut the lanyards off, 612 00:33:12,190 --> 00:33:16,694 leaving the pins basically free inside of the generator. 613 00:33:18,696 --> 00:33:21,733 Henderson: Did you put any labels on the actual generators? 614 00:33:21,799 --> 00:33:25,002 Mechanic: After I pulled them out, I put a green tag on them. 615 00:33:25,737 --> 00:33:26,904 Narrator: On the tags, 616 00:33:26,971 --> 00:33:31,342 Sabretech workers wrote the word "expired." 617 00:33:31,409 --> 00:33:33,378 What investigators still don't know 618 00:33:33,444 --> 00:33:36,447 is how the 144 oxygen generators 619 00:33:36,514 --> 00:33:39,751 ended up on a passenger plane weeks later. 620 00:33:41,819 --> 00:33:44,255 Henderson: And at that point they're to be disposed. 621 00:33:44,322 --> 00:33:46,691 Now the disposal requires that they be disposed 622 00:33:46,758 --> 00:33:49,894 as a hazardous waste. 623 00:33:49,961 --> 00:33:51,195 Narrator: When investigators interview 624 00:33:51,262 --> 00:33:53,698 Sabretech shipping staff, 625 00:33:53,765 --> 00:33:57,902 they learn that the generators sat in the hangar for weeks. 626 00:33:59,570 --> 00:34:03,141 Henderson: Sabretech had a new customer coming in. 627 00:34:03,207 --> 00:34:06,944 And they wanted to clean up the area for the new customer, 628 00:34:07,011 --> 00:34:09,380 to give them a good impression of their company. 629 00:34:09,447 --> 00:34:14,652 As far as they were concerned, they were Valujet's material, 630 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:18,256 and therefore they were to be returned to Valujet. 631 00:34:18,322 --> 00:34:19,757 Narrator: Investigators discover 632 00:34:19,824 --> 00:34:23,528 that the potentially hazardous generators were on flight 592 633 00:34:23,594 --> 00:34:28,099 due to a misunderstanding over a single word: Expired. 634 00:34:31,402 --> 00:34:32,737 Henderson: Did someone actually think 635 00:34:32,804 --> 00:34:35,206 that "expired" meant "empty"? 636 00:34:41,078 --> 00:34:44,182 The shipping papers described the oxygen generators 637 00:34:44,248 --> 00:34:49,387 as oxy--o-x-y, for oxygen-- canisters, 638 00:34:49,454 --> 00:34:52,390 and then the word "empty." 639 00:34:55,426 --> 00:34:56,627 This was a big problem 640 00:34:56,694 --> 00:34:59,597 because these oxygen generators weren't empty. 641 00:34:59,664 --> 00:35:02,366 They had expired, but expiration just meant 642 00:35:02,433 --> 00:35:05,269 that they had exceeded their shelf life. 643 00:35:07,305 --> 00:35:11,209 The use of the term "empty" was an error on his part. 644 00:35:11,275 --> 00:35:15,313 However, the shipping clerk himself wasn't that familiar 645 00:35:15,379 --> 00:35:18,249 with the oxygen generators. 646 00:35:18,316 --> 00:35:21,452 They were still capable of generating oxygen. 647 00:35:21,519 --> 00:35:23,955 They hadn't been properly safed. 648 00:35:24,021 --> 00:35:26,457 They hadn't been properly packaged. 649 00:35:26,524 --> 00:35:27,692 So we were really concerned 650 00:35:27,758 --> 00:35:32,330 that this might be either what caused the accident 651 00:35:32,396 --> 00:35:35,266 or what made the fire worse. 652 00:35:36,234 --> 00:35:38,936 Narrator: On may 11, 1996, 653 00:35:39,003 --> 00:35:41,939 airport workers loaded potentially flammable cargo 654 00:35:42,006 --> 00:35:44,442 onto Valujet 592. 655 00:35:48,279 --> 00:35:50,047 However, the DC-9's cargo hold 656 00:35:50,114 --> 00:35:54,151 is specifically designed to contain a fire. 657 00:35:57,154 --> 00:36:00,591 Feith: Regulations required that the cargo hold be airtight. 658 00:36:00,658 --> 00:36:04,595 If in fact you do have a fire in that cargo hold, 659 00:36:04,662 --> 00:36:07,965 it will burn itself out because it's airtight. 660 00:36:08,032 --> 00:36:10,067 Narrator: But would a cargo fire burn out 661 00:36:10,134 --> 00:36:13,070 if the cargo itself produced oxygen? 662 00:36:15,439 --> 00:36:17,308 Feith: We knew about the oxygen generators. 663 00:36:17,375 --> 00:36:20,244 We knew the potential they had for being a fire source, 664 00:36:20,311 --> 00:36:24,015 but we didn't really know, in the grand scheme of things, 665 00:36:24,081 --> 00:36:29,587 their real potential for bringing down an aircraft. 666 00:36:31,289 --> 00:36:35,259 Narrator: At an FAA fire test facility... 667 00:36:35,326 --> 00:36:36,427 Feith: Okay, let's do this. 668 00:36:36,494 --> 00:36:37,828 Narrator: ...they hope to recreate the fire 669 00:36:37,895 --> 00:36:40,531 that consumed flight 592. 670 00:36:40,598 --> 00:36:43,034 Feith: One minute to ignition. 671 00:36:43,100 --> 00:36:47,872 We had to trigger one of the oxygen generators manually. 672 00:37:03,554 --> 00:37:05,323 Birky: Nothing at all. 673 00:37:07,892 --> 00:37:11,762 We didn't really get much of a fire. 674 00:37:11,829 --> 00:37:14,265 Narrator: An activated oxygen generator isn't enough 675 00:37:14,332 --> 00:37:18,469 to set fire to the cardboard box it's packed in. 676 00:37:18,536 --> 00:37:21,272 Feith: So how did these things start a fire? 677 00:37:21,339 --> 00:37:25,242 Narrator: NTSB investigators are back at square one. 678 00:37:25,309 --> 00:37:28,212 They can't prove their theory. 679 00:37:48,799 --> 00:37:51,502 Birky: What were these things packed in? 680 00:37:51,569 --> 00:37:52,937 Narrator: The failure of the fire test 681 00:37:53,004 --> 00:37:54,772 prompts investigators to look more closely 682 00:37:54,839 --> 00:37:56,941 at exactly how the oxygen generators 683 00:37:57,008 --> 00:37:59,744 were packaged for transport. 684 00:38:02,546 --> 00:38:04,081 Birky: The first test we did, 685 00:38:04,148 --> 00:38:08,219 we had not packed them exactly the way they were packed. 686 00:38:08,285 --> 00:38:10,287 Feith: I need a layer of bubble wrap... 687 00:38:10,354 --> 00:38:14,392 Birky: We did not use bubble wrap in the first test, 688 00:38:14,458 --> 00:38:18,229 that is put bubble wrap over the top of the generators 689 00:38:18,295 --> 00:38:20,431 before we closed the box. 690 00:38:20,498 --> 00:38:24,402 We put five boxes of oxygen generators, 691 00:38:24,468 --> 00:38:30,508 put them on top of a tire and put some luggage around them. 692 00:38:30,574 --> 00:38:32,877 Feith: Okay, let's start it up. 693 00:38:42,987 --> 00:38:45,289 It made an unbelievable noise. 694 00:38:45,356 --> 00:38:47,391 It sounded, it was a high-pitched scream. 695 00:38:47,458 --> 00:38:49,493 We all looked at each other and we were kind of startled, 696 00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:52,563 I mean the sound was deafening. 697 00:39:01,138 --> 00:39:02,673 Narrator: Ten minutes after ignition 698 00:39:02,740 --> 00:39:04,408 the ceiling of the test cargo container 699 00:39:04,475 --> 00:39:07,478 reaches 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. 700 00:39:12,283 --> 00:39:14,985 Birky: Lord almighty. 701 00:39:15,052 --> 00:39:17,688 We almost destroyed their test facility. 702 00:39:17,755 --> 00:39:18,989 Narrator: After 11 minutes 703 00:39:19,056 --> 00:39:21,959 it exceeds the capacity of the monitoring equipment. 704 00:39:22,026 --> 00:39:25,362 Feith: Alright, let's get that fire out. 705 00:39:25,429 --> 00:39:29,533 We had a raging fire, and none of us had expected a fire 706 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:32,169 to be that big and that hot. 707 00:39:32,236 --> 00:39:35,372 And it was just amazing to see how disastrous, 708 00:39:35,439 --> 00:39:40,511 how, how destructive something this long 709 00:39:40,578 --> 00:39:42,680 and that big around could be. 710 00:39:45,382 --> 00:39:48,452 Narrator: The experiment supports the NTSB theory: 711 00:39:48,519 --> 00:39:51,021 Improperly packaged oxygen generators 712 00:39:51,088 --> 00:39:55,092 caused the crash of Valujet 592. 713 00:39:55,159 --> 00:39:58,696 Even in an airtight cargo hold, the fire would have burned 714 00:39:58,763 --> 00:40:02,099 fiercely enough to bring down the DC-9. 715 00:40:02,166 --> 00:40:04,869 Feith: The problem with flight 592 716 00:40:04,935 --> 00:40:07,104 is that you defeat the intended purpose 717 00:40:07,171 --> 00:40:08,806 of the class d cargo hold, 718 00:40:08,873 --> 00:40:12,209 because even though the hold may be airtight, 719 00:40:12,276 --> 00:40:17,448 you've got 144 sources of oxygen in that airtight container. 720 00:40:22,353 --> 00:40:24,021 Narrator: Investigators now suspect 721 00:40:24,088 --> 00:40:26,257 that the accidental activation of a generator 722 00:40:26,323 --> 00:40:31,128 during loading or on takeoff 723 00:40:31,195 --> 00:40:32,730 is all it took 724 00:40:32,797 --> 00:40:37,868 to trigger a disaster that claimed 110 lives. 725 00:40:37,935 --> 00:40:39,637 With the help of the plane's flight recorders... 726 00:40:39,703 --> 00:40:43,707 Feith: Oxygen generators are loaded sometime after 1300. 727 00:40:43,774 --> 00:40:45,509 Narrator: ...investigators are able to reconstruct 728 00:40:45,576 --> 00:40:49,079 the final moments of Valujet 592. 729 00:40:51,315 --> 00:40:52,583 Hazen: Positive rate. 730 00:40:52,650 --> 00:40:53,651 Kubeck: Gear up. 731 00:40:53,717 --> 00:40:56,453 Feith: There was a muffled bump or thump 732 00:40:56,520 --> 00:40:58,956 that had come off the cockpit voice recorder, 733 00:40:59,023 --> 00:41:01,325 which prompted the captain to ask... 734 00:41:01,392 --> 00:41:03,160 Kubeck: What was that? Hazen: I don't know. 735 00:41:03,227 --> 00:41:04,995 Feith: That muffled noise, that thump, 736 00:41:05,062 --> 00:41:08,532 when you marry that information up to the flight data recorder, 737 00:41:08,599 --> 00:41:10,701 it happened at the same time 738 00:41:10,768 --> 00:41:15,105 that we saw the bump in the static pressure. 739 00:41:15,172 --> 00:41:19,677 Narrator: The sound recorded on the CVR is the tire exploding. 740 00:41:19,743 --> 00:41:23,280 The same explosion picked up by the flight data recorder. 741 00:41:25,149 --> 00:41:26,951 Controller: What kind of problem are you having? 742 00:41:27,017 --> 00:41:28,552 Kubeck: Fire! 743 00:41:28,619 --> 00:41:31,589 Hazen: Smoke in the cock... Smoke in the cabin. 744 00:41:31,655 --> 00:41:34,959 Feith: It's been 30 seconds since the explosion. 745 00:41:35,025 --> 00:41:39,663 Hazen requests a return to Miami. 746 00:41:39,730 --> 00:41:42,733 Hazen: 592 needs immediate return to Miami. 747 00:41:47,271 --> 00:41:48,672 Feith: We can hear a lot of background noises. 748 00:41:48,739 --> 00:41:50,808 We have the flight attendant coming up front. 749 00:41:50,875 --> 00:41:52,276 Flight attendant: We're completely on fire! 750 00:41:52,343 --> 00:41:53,911 Feith: She's talking about how bad the fire is, 751 00:41:53,978 --> 00:41:56,814 and the last part of it is silent. 752 00:41:56,881 --> 00:41:58,716 And then nothing. 753 00:42:02,353 --> 00:42:05,356 There is no crew interaction. There is no talking. 754 00:42:05,422 --> 00:42:08,292 There is no verbal communication. 755 00:42:12,263 --> 00:42:16,367 All you hear is the sound of the wind. 756 00:42:20,971 --> 00:42:26,176 It indicated to us that whatever was happening was fast, 757 00:42:26,243 --> 00:42:27,811 incapacitated the flight crew 758 00:42:27,878 --> 00:42:31,382 to the point where they were unconscious. 759 00:42:34,818 --> 00:42:40,124 It only took 3 minutes and 42 seconds 760 00:42:40,190 --> 00:42:42,393 for the fire to bring down the plane. 761 00:42:47,631 --> 00:42:48,899 Narrator: There was no chance 762 00:42:48,966 --> 00:42:51,869 of getting the plane to the ground safely. 763 00:43:09,853 --> 00:43:11,422 In the wake of the accident, 764 00:43:11,488 --> 00:43:14,525 the FAA grounds Valujet indefinitely. 765 00:43:14,591 --> 00:43:16,393 The national transportation safety board 766 00:43:16,460 --> 00:43:17,661 recommends better training 767 00:43:17,728 --> 00:43:21,799 for employees who handle oxygen generators. 768 00:43:21,865 --> 00:43:26,003 Chandler: There weren't any bad guys with black hats. 769 00:43:26,070 --> 00:43:28,806 They were all people just trying to get by, 770 00:43:28,872 --> 00:43:31,275 doing the best they could. 771 00:43:31,342 --> 00:43:34,812 Narrator: The NTSB also renews its call from 8 years earlier 772 00:43:34,878 --> 00:43:37,181 to have smoke detectors and fire extinguishers 773 00:43:37,247 --> 00:43:41,452 installed in the cargo holds of all passenger jets. 774 00:43:41,518 --> 00:43:42,953 Chandler: The FAA turned around, 775 00:43:43,020 --> 00:43:45,222 after Valujet crashed, 776 00:43:45,289 --> 00:43:50,928 and mandated fire suppression and fire alerting systems, 777 00:43:50,995 --> 00:43:54,365 but they should have done that a long time ago. 778 00:43:54,431 --> 00:43:59,403 Woman: An inferno. What a hell those people went through. 779 00:44:01,438 --> 00:44:05,109 Man: Our loved ones are dead 780 00:44:05,175 --> 00:44:09,880 because this agency has not done its job. 781 00:44:09,947 --> 00:44:12,483 Chandler: It's classic tombstone regulation. 782 00:44:12,549 --> 00:44:15,085 You build a body count, 783 00:44:15,152 --> 00:44:16,687 and that body count is the only thing 784 00:44:16,754 --> 00:44:20,424 that sways people to go out and do anything. 785 00:44:20,491 --> 00:44:23,160 Feith: The secretary of transportation lost his job. 786 00:44:23,227 --> 00:44:25,729 The administrator of the FAA lost his job 787 00:44:25,796 --> 00:44:28,032 because of this one accident. 788 00:44:31,268 --> 00:44:34,505 Brenner: It was a very important lesson, 789 00:44:34,571 --> 00:44:36,840 and it's unfortunate 790 00:44:36,907 --> 00:44:38,275 that it comes about 791 00:44:38,342 --> 00:44:39,676 with this kind of cost. 792 00:44:39,743 --> 00:44:41,045 But this was a case 793 00:44:41,111 --> 00:44:42,846 that did make major changes 794 00:44:42,913 --> 00:44:44,181 in the industry, 795 00:44:44,248 --> 00:44:45,616 that we all work together 796 00:44:45,682 --> 00:44:45,849 to make sure this doesn't happen again.