110 victims of 1996 ValuJet plane crash remembered at Everglades memorial
May 11, 2026
South Florida is remembering the 110 victims who died in the tragic ValuJet plane crash back in 1996.
Monday marked the 30-year anniversary of the incident.
ValuJet flight 592 had just taken off from Miami International Airport when a fire broke out in the plane’s cargo area.
Investiga
tors said it was caused by oxygen generators that were improperly carried on board.
The crash brought sweeping safety reforms to the airline industry.
“When you fly today, if anyone flies, the only reason you have a smoke detector and fire suppression in the cargo hold is because of the years of work from family members and aviation professionals,” said Gail Dunham, Executive Director of National Air Disaster Foundation.
Families gathered at a memorial off the Tamiami Trail that honors each victim.
“Thirty years ago today, 110 souls boarded a flight in Miami bound to Atlanta. They were mothers, fathers, and children. They were a crew led by a trailblazing captain. There were people like us looking forward to the next horizon,” said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chaplain Lt. Alex Trinchet.
The FBI continues their search for the man accused of improperly handling the oxygen canisters linked to the deadly crash.
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