ValuJet Airlines
Encyclopedia
ValuJet Airlines was an American low-cost carrier
, headquartered in unincorporated
Clayton County, Georgia
, that operated regularly scheduled domestic and international flights in the Eastern United States
and Canada during the 1990s. After a series of safety problems and the fatal crash of ValuJet Flight 592
, the company merged with the much smaller regional airline
AirWays Corp., now known as AirTran Holdings
. ValuJet, while the nominal survivor of the merger, chose to replace its own tarnished name with AirTran's, thus ValuJet now operates as AirTran Airways
.
, Jacksonville
and Tampa
with a single Douglas DC-9 that had previously belonged to its chief competitor, Delta Air Lines
. The carrier was headed by a group of industry veterans including co-founder and chairman Robert Priddy, who had started a string of successful airlines including Atlantic Southeast Airlines
(ASA), Air Midwest Airlines, and Florida Gulf Airlines. Board members Maury Gallagher and Tim Flynn, the other two co-founders, developed and ran WestAir before selling it to Mesa Airlines
; former Continental Airlines
and Flying Tigers
President Lewis Jordan joined the carrier a short time later as president.
The airline was taken public in June 1994, after a year of tremendous growth with the addition of fifteen aircraft since the first flight in 1993. It became the fastest airline in the history of American aviation to make a profit, earning US$
21 million in 1994 alone. In October 1995, ValuJet placed an order with airplane manufacturer McDonnell Douglas
for fifty MD-95 jets (now known as the Boeing 717
after McDonnell Douglas' merger with Boeing
in 1997) with an option for fifty more, thus making it the first low cost airline to launch an aircraft. To keep costs low, the airline bought many used aircraft from around the world. At the time ValuJet's fleet was among the oldest in the United States averaging 26 years.
Unlike many airlines, ValuJet outsourced many functions other airlines handle themselves. For instance, it subcontracted its maintenance to several companies. ValuJet also required pilots to pay for their own training, and gave its flight attendants only bare-bones training.
(DoD) rejected ValuJet's bid to fly military personnel. In a scathing report, the DoD cited serious deficiencies in ValuJet's quality assurance procedures.
The Federal Aviation Administration
's (FAA) Atlanta field office sent a memo on February 14, 1996, to Washington, D.C.
, stating that "consideration should be given to the immediate FAR-121 rectification of this airline"--in other words, the FAA wanted ValuJet grounded. ValuJet airplanes made 15 emergency landings in 1994, 57 in 1995, and 57 from January through May 1996. In February the FAA ordered ValuJet to seek approval before adding any new aircraft or cities to its network, something the industry had not seen since deregulation in 1979. This attempt at removing ValuJet's certification was "lost in the maze at FAA" according to NTSB Chairman Jim Hall.
By this time, ValuJet's accident rate was not only one of the highest in the low-fare sector, but was 14 times that of the big carriers. After the Flight 592 crash, many of ValuJet's other cost-cutting practices came under scrutiny. It had allowed one airplane to fly 140 times despite a leaky hydraulic system, and allowed another airplane to fly 31 times with a malfunctioning weather radar.
, a DC-9 jetliner flying from Miami to Atlanta, plunged into the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 on board. The resulting investigation revealed numerous systemic flaws, and on June 17, 1996, ValuJet was grounded by the FAA. On September 26, 1996, ValuJet resumed flying with 15 jets, down from 52 before the crash, after complying with all U.S. Department of Transportation and FAA requirements. On November 4, 1996, ValuJet announced that Joseph Corr, former CEO of Continental Airlines
, would become CEO and President of the airline at a time when the airline was in serious trouble. It had lost $55 million since the crash of Flight 592.
After the large amount of negative publicity surrounding the Flight 592 incident, ValuJet suffered serious financial problems. On July 11, 1997, ValuJet announced it would merge with the much smaller Airways Corporation, parent of AirTran Airways
. The merged company would retain the AirTran name, although ValuJet was the senior partner and nominal survivor of the merger.. In November 1997, the company announced it would move its headquarters from Atlanta to Orlando. On November 17, 1997, AirWays Corp. and ValuJet completed their merger, and the tarnished ValuJet name passed into aviation history.
Today, AirTran makes almost no mention of its past as ValuJet. A large cache of ValuJet memorabilia, including radio ads, remains locked in an Atlanta warehouse. However, it opted not to make any major corporate announcements on the crash's 10th anniversary, out of respect for the victims' families.
aircraft, with a few McDonnell Douglas MD-80s as well. They were all fitted with orange seats, and most of the aircraft were more than 15 years old, many from other carriers. All were painted white with blue and yellow trim, and had the smiling "Critter" painted on both sides of the plane on the front. ValuJet flights were called "Critter" due to the airline's smiling airplane logo.
, Philadelphia, Boston
, Miami, and Washington Dulles. Before the crash of Flight 592, ValuJet operated to 22 cities in the U.S. and one in Canada. Most people chose ValuJet for its low fares, such as $39 from Atlanta to Jacksonville.
ValuJet flight 597 suffered an aborted takeoff from Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport after a catastrophic engine failure. Shrapnel
from the right engine penetrated the fuselage and the right engine main fuel line, and a cabin fire erupted. The airplane was stopped on the runway, and captain Greg Straessle ordered evacuation of the airplane. The plane was supposed to be on its way to Miami International Airport
.
The subsequent fire destroyed the aircraft. Among the five crew members, one flight attendant received serious puncture wounds from shrapnel and thermal injuries, and another flight attendant received minor injuries. Of the 57 passengers on board, five suffered minor injuries.
The National Transportation Safety Board
(NTSB) determined that the engine failure was caused by a detectable crack in a compressor disk, on which a maintenance contractor had failed to perform a proper inspection and had kept poor records. The incident resulted in the NTSB issuing an advisory recommending improvements to maintenance rules throughout the industry.
, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashed in the Florida Everglades on Saturday, May 11, 1996 due to a fire caused by the activation of chemical oxygen generators that were illegally stored in the cargo hold. The fire damaged the airplane's electrical system and eventually overcame the crew, resulting in the deaths of all 110 people on board. The airplane was on its way from Miami to Atlanta.
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
, headquartered in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Clayton County, Georgia
Clayton County, Georgia
Clayton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 236,517. The 2008 Census estimate placed the population at 273,718. The county seat is Jonesboro...
, that operated regularly scheduled domestic and international flights in the Eastern United States
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
and Canada during the 1990s. After a series of safety problems and the fatal crash of ValuJet Flight 592
ValuJet Flight 592
ValuJet Flight 592 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight between Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida, and William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia...
, the company merged with the much smaller regional airline
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
AirWays Corp., now known as AirTran Holdings
AirTran Holdings
AirTran Holdings was a Nevada corporation, based in Orlando, Florida, United States, that operated as an airline holding company. Its primary asset was AirTran Airways until Southwest Airlines acquired AirTran on May 2, 2011.- History :...
. ValuJet, while the nominal survivor of the merger, chose to replace its own tarnished name with AirTran's, thus ValuJet now operates as AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights , primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States...
.
Inception
ValuJet's first flight (Flight 901 from Atlanta to Tampa) was on October 26, 1993, with service from Atlanta to OrlandoOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
and Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
with a single Douglas DC-9 that had previously belonged to its chief competitor, Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
. The carrier was headed by a group of industry veterans including co-founder and chairman Robert Priddy, who had started a string of successful airlines including Atlantic Southeast Airlines
Atlantic Southeast Airlines
Atlantic Southeast Airlines is an American airline based in the A-Tech Center in College Park, Georgia, flying to 144 destinations as a Delta Connection carrier and, as of February 2010, commenced service as a United Express carrier. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc. ASA operates...
(ASA), Air Midwest Airlines, and Florida Gulf Airlines. Board members Maury Gallagher and Tim Flynn, the other two co-founders, developed and ran WestAir before selling it to Mesa Airlines
Mesa Airlines
Mesa Airlines, Inc. is an American regional airline based in Phoenix, Arizona. It is a FAA Part 121 certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number MASA036A issued on June 29, 1979. It is a subsidiary of Mesa Air Group. It was known briefly as Mountain West Airlines from...
; former Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
and Flying Tigers
Flying Tiger Line
Flying Tiger Line, also known as Flying Tigers, was the first scheduled cargo airline in the United States and a major military charter operator during the Cold War era for both cargo and personnel .- History :...
President Lewis Jordan joined the carrier a short time later as president.
The airline was taken public in June 1994, after a year of tremendous growth with the addition of fifteen aircraft since the first flight in 1993. It became the fastest airline in the history of American aviation to make a profit, earning US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
21 million in 1994 alone. In October 1995, ValuJet placed an order with airplane manufacturer McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport...
for fifty MD-95 jets (now known as the Boeing 717
Boeing 717
The Boeing 717 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner, developed for the 100-seat market. The airliner was designed and marketed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95, a third-generation derivative of the DC-9. Capable of seating of up to 117 passengers, the 717 has maximum range of...
after McDonnell Douglas' merger with Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
in 1997) with an option for fifty more, thus making it the first low cost airline to launch an aircraft. To keep costs low, the airline bought many used aircraft from around the world. At the time ValuJet's fleet was among the oldest in the United States averaging 26 years.
Unlike many airlines, ValuJet outsourced many functions other airlines handle themselves. For instance, it subcontracted its maintenance to several companies. ValuJet also required pilots to pay for their own training, and gave its flight attendants only bare-bones training.
Safety problems
In August 1995, the Department of DefenseUnited States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
(DoD) rejected ValuJet's bid to fly military personnel. In a scathing report, the DoD cited serious deficiencies in ValuJet's quality assurance procedures.
The Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
's (FAA) Atlanta field office sent a memo on February 14, 1996, to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, stating that "consideration should be given to the immediate FAR-121 rectification of this airline"--in other words, the FAA wanted ValuJet grounded. ValuJet airplanes made 15 emergency landings in 1994, 57 in 1995, and 57 from January through May 1996. In February the FAA ordered ValuJet to seek approval before adding any new aircraft or cities to its network, something the industry had not seen since deregulation in 1979. This attempt at removing ValuJet's certification was "lost in the maze at FAA" according to NTSB Chairman Jim Hall.
By this time, ValuJet's accident rate was not only one of the highest in the low-fare sector, but was 14 times that of the big carriers. After the Flight 592 crash, many of ValuJet's other cost-cutting practices came under scrutiny. It had allowed one airplane to fly 140 times despite a leaky hydraulic system, and allowed another airplane to fly 31 times with a malfunctioning weather radar.
Fallout from the crash of Flight 592
On May 11, 1996, ValuJet suffered its highest-profile incident when its Flight 592ValuJet Flight 592
ValuJet Flight 592 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight between Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida, and William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia...
, a DC-9 jetliner flying from Miami to Atlanta, plunged into the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 on board. The resulting investigation revealed numerous systemic flaws, and on June 17, 1996, ValuJet was grounded by the FAA. On September 26, 1996, ValuJet resumed flying with 15 jets, down from 52 before the crash, after complying with all U.S. Department of Transportation and FAA requirements. On November 4, 1996, ValuJet announced that Joseph Corr, former CEO of Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
, would become CEO and President of the airline at a time when the airline was in serious trouble. It had lost $55 million since the crash of Flight 592.
After the large amount of negative publicity surrounding the Flight 592 incident, ValuJet suffered serious financial problems. On July 11, 1997, ValuJet announced it would merge with the much smaller Airways Corporation, parent of AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights , primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States...
. The merged company would retain the AirTran name, although ValuJet was the senior partner and nominal survivor of the merger.. In November 1997, the company announced it would move its headquarters from Atlanta to Orlando. On November 17, 1997, AirWays Corp. and ValuJet completed their merger, and the tarnished ValuJet name passed into aviation history.
Today, AirTran makes almost no mention of its past as ValuJet. A large cache of ValuJet memorabilia, including radio ads, remains locked in an Atlanta warehouse. However, it opted not to make any major corporate announcements on the crash's 10th anniversary, out of respect for the victims' families.
Fleet
ValuJet operated a fleet of mainly McDonnell Douglas DC-9McDonnell Douglas DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by...
aircraft, with a few McDonnell Douglas MD-80s as well. They were all fitted with orange seats, and most of the aircraft were more than 15 years old, many from other carriers. All were painted white with blue and yellow trim, and had the smiling "Critter" painted on both sides of the plane on the front. ValuJet flights were called "Critter" due to the airline's smiling airplane logo.
Destinations
ValuJet's main hub was in Atlanta, and its focus cities were in OrlandoOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Philadelphia, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Miami, and Washington Dulles. Before the crash of Flight 592, ValuJet operated to 22 cities in the U.S. and one in Canada. Most people chose ValuJet for its low fares, such as $39 from Atlanta to Jacksonville.
Flight 597
On June 8, 1995, the DC-9-32McDonnell Douglas DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by...
ValuJet flight 597 suffered an aborted takeoff from Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport after a catastrophic engine failure. Shrapnel
Fragmentation (weaponry)
Fragmentation is the process by which the casing of an artillery shell, bomb, grenade, etc. is shattered by the detonating high explosive filling. The correct technical terminology for these casing pieces is fragments , although shards or splinters can be used for non-preformed fragments...
from the right engine penetrated the fuselage and the right engine main fuel line, and a cabin fire erupted. The airplane was stopped on the runway, and captain Greg Straessle ordered evacuation of the airplane. The plane was supposed to be on its way to Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
.
The subsequent fire destroyed the aircraft. Among the five crew members, one flight attendant received serious puncture wounds from shrapnel and thermal injuries, and another flight attendant received minor injuries. Of the 57 passengers on board, five suffered minor injuries.
The National Transportation Safety Board
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
(NTSB) determined that the engine failure was caused by a detectable crack in a compressor disk, on which a maintenance contractor had failed to perform a proper inspection and had kept poor records. The incident resulted in the NTSB issuing an advisory recommending improvements to maintenance rules throughout the industry.
Flight 592
ValuJet Flight 592ValuJet Flight 592
ValuJet Flight 592 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight between Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida, and William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia...
, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashed in the Florida Everglades on Saturday, May 11, 1996 due to a fire caused by the activation of chemical oxygen generators that were illegally stored in the cargo hold. The fire damaged the airplane's electrical system and eventually overcame the crew, resulting in the deaths of all 110 people on board. The airplane was on its way from Miami to Atlanta.