AirTran plane crashes since 1993
The following are significant events involving the airline or its subsidiares. The numbered events are those involving at least one airline passenger death where the aircraft flight had a direct or indirect role, and where at least one of the dead passengers was not a stowaway, hijacker, or saboteur. The airline operated as ValuJet from 1993 and changed its name after it acquired AirTran in 1997. AirTran ceased operations in 2014 after it was merged into Southwest Airlines.
Air Tran ceased independent operations and was merged into Southwest Airlines in December 2014.
- 11 May 1996; ValuJet Airlines DC9-32; Near Miami, FL:
The aircraft was on a domestic flight from Miami to Atlanta. A fire had started in one of the cargo compartments at some point after the cargo had been loaded. Shortly after departure, the crew reported smoke in the cockpit, and soon lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft went into a steep dive, crashing into the Florida Everglades about 15 miles (24 km) from the airport. All 105 passengers and five crew members were killed.
NTSB Accident Report
DC9 plane crashes
8 June 1995; ValuJet Airlines DC9-31; Atlanta, GA:
The aircraft was on a domestic flight from Atlanta, GA to Miami, FL when the right engine sustained an uncontained failure during takeoff, rupturing a fuel line and causing a fire.
After aborting the takeoff, the crew evacuated the airplane.
The aircraft was destroyed by the subsequent fire.
The NTSB determined that the uncontained engine failure occurred due to a crack in a compressor disk that was detectable.
The NTSB determined that the maintenance contractor had failed to perform a proper inspection on that disk.
One of the five crew members were seriously injured.
None of the 57 passengers were killed or seriously injured.
NTSB Accident Report
DC9 plane crashes
7 January 1996; ValuJet Airlines DC9-32; N922VV, Nashville, TN:
The aircraft was on a domestic flight from Atlanta, GA to Nashville, TN.
Due to a pressurization problem, the cabin was depressurized during approach. After resetting circuit breakers to deal with the problem, thee spoilers deployed, giving the aircraft a high sink rate and causing it to strike the runway in a nose-high attitude.
The crew aborted the landing and was able to land safely. There was substantial damage to the fuselage, but the aircraft was repaired and returned to service.
None of the 88 passengers and five crew members were injured.
NTSB Accident Report
DC9 plane crashes
More about Air Tran
Plane crashes by model
Plane crash rates by model
http://airsafe.com/events/airlines/valujet.htm -- Revised: 10 November 2015