Draft:ValuJet Flight 597
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Last edited by Nfutvol (talk | contribs) 37 days ago. (Update) |
_in_flame.jpg) The aircraft burning on the runway | |
| Incident | |
|---|---|
| Date | June 8, 1995 |
| Summary | Uncontained engine failure during takeoff leading to in-flight fire |
| Site |
|
| Aircraft | |
,_USA_PP1164719400.jpg) A ValuJet Airlines DC-9-32 similar to the one involved | |
| Aircraft type | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 |
| Operator | ValuJet Airlines |
| IATA flight No. | J7597 |
| ICAO flight No. | VJA597 |
| Call sign | CRITTER 597 |
| Registration | N908VJ |
| Flight origin | William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia |
| Destination | Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida |
| Occupants | 62 |
| Passengers | 57 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 7 |
| Survivors | 62 |
Valujet Flight 597 was a regularly scheduled revenue flight from Atlanta, Georgia to Miami, Florida.[1][2][3] On June 8, 1995, the aircraft operating the flight suffered an engine failure on takeoff, leading to a fire that consumed the airliner.[1][2] Fortunately, among the 62 occupants on board, there were no fatalities[1][2][3] The aircraft was written off.[2]
Aircraft and crew
The aircraft involved was a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32, registration N908VJ (serial no. 47321), manufactured in 1969[3] and was put into service the previous year.[2] It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney (P&W) JT8D-9A turbofan engines.[2] It had been delivered to Valujet Airlines from Turk Hava Yollari (THY) Airlines the previous year.[2] The crew consisted of a captain, a first officer, and three flight attendants, Megan (who had been a flight attendant with various airlines for 10 years), Denise (who had been a flight attendant for 6 months) and Rachel (who had been a flight attendant for 20 months).[2] The captain was Greg Straessle, age 45, who was hired by Valujet Airlines in 1993 and had accumulated a total of approximately 9,500 flight hours, of which 3,500 were on the DC-9.[2] The first officer was Steve Rasin, age 43, who was hired by Valujet in 1994 and had accumulated a total of approximately 3,800 flight hours, of which 552 were on the DC-9.[2]
Incident
The flight started its' takeoff roll down runway 27R at 19:08 local time.[2] Seconds later, a loud bang was heard, with wisps of smoke entering the cabin, as observed by the flight attendants and several passengers.[2] At the same time, a fire warning alarm sounded and illuminated in the cockpit, indicating the right engine was on fire.[2] The crew immediately aborted the takeoff and stopped midway down runway 27R, near taxiway M18.[2] An evacuation was then ordered and the passengers and crew began exiting the plane.[2] As the doors were opened, a plume of smoke entered the cabin, hovering over the passengers heads down to waist level.[2] All 62 occupants evacuated safely, with only a handful suffering either minor or serious injuries; however, there were no fatalities.[2] A flight attendant received serious puncture wounds when parts of the engine tore through the fuselage and entered the cabin when the engine failed.[2] The aircraft was written off.[2] Both the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) were retrieved from the aircraft, with both recorder suffering only very minor fire damage (sooting, etc.).[2] The data was able to be downloaded and analyzed.[2]
Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was assigned to investigate the cause of the accident.[2] Metallurgical examinations of the engines from the accident aircraft after the incident revealed fatigue cracks that formed on the outer edges of the turbines leading towards the center.[2] Other fatigue cracks were also discovered on other parts of the engine turbine blades, extending in different directions.[2] Other defects such as corrosion was also found on the engine turbine blades.[2] Three other engines owned by the aircraft's previous owner, THY Airlines, were sent for metallurgical testing.[2] 2 of the 3 engines showed signs of corrosion on the turbine blades where cadmium plating had been placed over top.[2] However, unlike the accident aircraft's engines, these engines were taken out of service as they had reached the end of their useful life and it was deemed inappropriate to reinstall them and use them until the end of their lives.[2] The Valujet aircraft's engines were still used despite having noticeable fatigue cracks and corrosion pits, indicating that they were reaching the end of their life and had to be replaced.[2] In nearly 2 decades, there had never been a failure of the Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9A engines until the Valujet incident.[2] Regarding the maintenance of the aircraft prior to the accident, it was found that the mechanics of the aircraft's previous owner, THY Airlines, had certified that there was nothing wrong with the engine turbines when in fact a fatigue crack was forming and was clearly noticeable had the proper inspection procedures been carried out.[2] The accident aircraft was delivered to the U.S. in 1991 where it underwent a major overhaul.[2] However, despite the technicians being able to understand the maintenance procedures, the correct inspection process was not carried out, due to the mechanic claiming that a fatigue crack of 0.003 inches or less did not require the engine to be taken off and put out of service.[2] However, by the time of the 1991 overhaul and accident 4 years later, the fatigue crack in the right engine had lengthened to approximately 12 inches.[2] Lax and incomplete maintenance procedures and failure to follow requirements for engine overhauls was cited as a contributing factor to the incident.[2] As well, the investigation also found that there were significant flaws in the way flight attendants were taught to act in emergency situations. Flight attendants at the time had little training regarding the emergency exit in the tailcone of aircraft such as the DC-9. As well, the outfits worn by flight attendants did not adequately cover extremities which posed a risk of being burned in aircraft fire events. The outfits worn at the time also were made of materials that would easily ignite if exposed to fire. As a result of this accident, flight attendant uniforms were upgraded so that arms and legs are covered completely and made of fireproof material which are still used today.
In their final report, the NTSB concluded that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of the THY maintenance crew to perform a thorough check of the plane during overhaul and spot the defect in the engine turbine blades.[2] As well, the failure of a record keeping system to see which maintenance procedures had been completed was not present was also a factor which prevented the fracture in the turbine blades from being spotted, leading to the incident.[2]
References
- ^ a b c "VALUJET AIRLINES flight J7597 - Aviation Accident Database". 1995-06-08. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR9603.pdf
- ^ a b c "Ground explosion of a Douglas DC-9-32 in Atlanta | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives". www.baaa-acro.com. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
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