On Saturday, May 11. 1996, about 1415 EDT, a Douglas DC-9-32, N904VJ, operated by Valujet as flight 592, crashed during an uncontrolled descent from 10,000 feet. The 2 flight crewmembers, 2 cabin attendants, and 106 passengers were fatally injured. The weather at the time of the accident was VFR. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. The flight was being operated under 14CFR Part 121. The flight departed at 1344 after being delayed because of weather in the Atlanta area. Shortly after takeoff the first officer radioed Miami Approach and requested an immediate return to the airport because of "smoke in the cockpit, smoke in the cabin." During the return to the airport the aircraft crashed in an isolated portion of the Florida Everglades, about 18 miles northwest of the airport. Preliminary examination of the wreckage and interviews with employees of Valujet and a contract maintenance company (Sabretech) indicate that a fire erupted in the forward cargo compartment. Additionally, it was determined that oxygen generators, used in aircraft passenger service unites and classified as "HAZMAT" was on board flight 592 and had been loaded in the forward cargo compartment.
NTSB - Aviation accidents index

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S P E C I A L  --  T R A N S C R I P T  V A L U J E T  F L I G H T  592
NTSB APPENDIX B-COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER TRANSCRIPT
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RDO   Radio transmission from accident aircraft
CAM   Cockpit area microphone voice or sound source
ALL   Sound source heard on all channels
INT   Transmissions over aircraft interphone system
GND   Radio transmission from Miami approach control
TWR   Radio transmission from Miami tower
DEP   Radio transmission from Miami departure control
AA960 Radio transmission from American flight 960
UNK   Radio transmission received from unidentified source
PA    Transmission made over aircraft public address system
-1    Voice identified as Pilot-in-Command (PIC)
-2    Voice identified as Co-Pilot
-3    Voice identified as female flight attendant
-?    Voice unidentified
*     Unintelligible word
@     Non pertinent word
#     Expletive
%     Break in continuity
( )   Questionable insertion
[ ]   Editorial insertion
....  Pause
Note : Times are expressed in eastern daylight time (EDT).


1340: 29 {00: 10} START of RECORDING -- START of TRANSCRIPT
1403: 24 {22: 39} TWR Critter five ninety two, fly runway heading,
                  runway nine left, cleared for takeoff.
1403: 28 {22: 43} RDO- 2 runway heading, cleared to go nine left, Critter
                  five ninety two.
1403: 31 {22: 46} CAM- 1 ** lights are on.
1403: 34 {22: 49} CAM [sound similar to engines increasing in RPM]
1403: 35 {22: 50} CAM- 1 bleeds are closed.
1403: 39 {22: 54} CAM- 1 set takeoff power.
1403: 42 {22: 56} CAM- 2 * power is set, we have ninety five, ninety four.
1403: 47 {23: 01} CAM [sound of clunks increasing in frequency similar to
                  aircraft nose tire traveling over bumps in runway]
1403: 57 {23: 11} CAM- 2 * hundred knots.
1403: 58 {23: 12} CAM- 1 check.
1404: 07 {23: 21} CAM- 2 V one.
1404: 07 {23: 21} CAM- 1 check
1404: 09 {23: 23} CAM- 2 V r.
1404: 15 {23: 29} CAM- 2 positive rate.
1404: 15 {23: 29} CAM- 1 gear up.
1404: 16 {23: 30} CAM- 2 V two
1404: 20 {23: 34} CAM- 2 five.
1404: 21 {23: 35} CAM [sound similar to stabilizer- in- motion indicator]
1404: 24 {23: 38} TWR Critter five ninety two, contact departure, good day.
1404: 27 {23: 41} RDO- 2 good day sir.
1404: 31 {23: 45} CAM- 1 flaps up.
1404: 33 {23: 47} RDO- 2 afternoon departure, Critter five ninety two's
                  out of five hundred goin' to five thousand.
1404: 36 {23: 50} DEP Critter five ninety two, departure, good afternoon.
                  radar contact. climb and maintain seven thousand.
1404: 40 {23: 54} RDO- 2 seven thousand, five ninety two.
1404: 43 {23: 57} CAM- 1 slats retract.
1404: 44 {23: 58} CAM- 2 slats retract.
1404: 46 {24: 00} CAM [sound of click]
1404: 50 {24: 04} CAM [sound similar to stabilizer- in- motion indicator]
1405: 05 {24: 19} CAM- 2 following the Boeing straight ahead of us in a turn.
1405: 07 {24: 21} CAM- 1 OK.
1405: 08 {24: 22} CAM [sound similar to stabilizer- in- motion indicator]
1405: 18 {24: 32} PA- 3 and, ladies and gentlemen, captain Kubeck will turn
                  off the fasten seat belt sign, just as soon she feels it's
                  safe for you to get up and move about the cabin. until that
                  time, please remain comfortably seated with your seat belts
                  securely fastened. we also suggest for your safety that
                  seatbelts be fastened even after the sign has been turned
                  off. shortly we will begin our inflight service. we are
                  pleased to offer you a variety of soft drinks, coffee, and
                  juices. cocktails are available for three dollars. beer
                  and wine are available for two dollars. as always, correct
                  change is greatly,, greatly,, appreciating. for a complete
                  listing of our complimentary beverages, they may be found
                  on page five of our Good Times magazine. for now we just
                  ask that you sit back and relax and enjoy your flight to
                  Atlanta, Georgia.
1405: 45 {24: 58} DEP Critter five ninety two, turn left heading
                  three six zero.
1405: 48 {25: 01} RDO- 2 three six zero, five ninety two.
1405: 49 {25: 02} CAM- 1 three six zero.... climb power, climb check.
1405: 56 {25: 09} CAM- 2 power's set.
1406: 29 {25: 41} CAM- 2 gears up and checked, flaps up, lights out, spoilers,
                  is disarmed, the ignition is off, fuel pumps are set, air
                  conditioning shutoff is override, hydraulic pumps off and
                  low, flood and logo lights at ten, and altimeters at eighteen.
1406: 40 {25: 52} CAM- 1 thank you.
1406: 42 {25: 54} CAM [sound similar to stabilizer- in- motion indicator]
1406: 50 {26: 02} DEP Critter five ninety two, turn left heading three
                  three zero.
1406: 53 {26: 05} RDO- 2 three three zero, five ninety two.
1406: 55 {26: 07} CAM- 1 three three zero **.
1407: 18 {26: 29} CAM- 1 six for seven.
1407: 18 {26: 29} CAM- 2 six for seven.
1407: 22 {26: 33} CAM [tone similar to altitude alert signal]
1407: 24 {26: 35} DEP Critter five ninety two, turn left heading three
                  zero zero. join the WINCO transition. climb and
                  maintain one six thousand.
1407: 29 {26: 40} RDO- 2 three zero zero the heading. join the WINC at sixteen
                  thousand, Critter five ninety two.
1407: 33 {26: 44} CAM- 1 *****.... clear left.
1407: 41 {26: 52} CAM- 2 [sound of cough]
1407: 42 {26: 53} CAM- 1 ****. lets turn on the radar. *****.
1408: 00 {27: 11} CAM- 2 got something out there about eighty miles out.
1408: 02 {27: 13} CAM- 1 OK.
1408: 03 {27: 14} CAM- 2 that must be that thunderstorm.
1408: 08 {27: 18} CAM- 1 there's a break here like.. *****.
1408: 28 {27: 38} CAM- 1 I'd hate to be in this thing at a hundred and eight
                  thousand and in through this weather.
1408: 32 {27: 42} CAM- 2 yeah.
1409: 18 {28: 27} CAM- 2 [sound of cough]
1409: 21 {28: 30} CAM- 1 **.
1409: 26 {28: 35} CAM [sound similar to stabilizer- in- motion indicator]
1409: 30 {28: 39} CAM- 2 you don't want to hold them down for a while,
                  did ya ?
1409: 32 {28: 41} CAM- 1 no, they're OK for right now.
1409: 36 {28: 45} PA- 2 flight attendants, departure check please.
1409: 44 {28: 53} CAM- 1 we're ** turbulence ****.
1409: 02 {29: 00} CAM [sound of click ]
1410: 03 {29: 11} CAM [sound of chirp heard on cockpit area microphone channel
                  with simultaneous beep on public address/ interphone channel]
1410: 07 {29: 15} CAM- 1 what was that?
1410: 08 {29: 16} CAM- 2 I don't know.
1410: 12 {29: 20} CAM- 1 ** ('bout to lose a bus?)
1410: 15 {29: 23} CAM- 1 we got some electrical problem.
1410: 17 {29: 25} CAM- 2 yeah.
1410: 18 {29: 26} CAM- 2 that battery charger's kickin' in. ooh, we gotta.
1410: 20 {29: 28} CAM- 1 we're losing everything.
1410: 21 {29: 29} DEP Critter five nine two, contact Miami center on one thirty
                  two forty five, so long.
1410: 22 {29: 30} CAM- 1 we need, we need to go back to Miami.
1410: 23 {29: 31} CAM [sounds of shouting from passenger cabin]
1410: 25 {29: 33} CAM-? fire, fire, fire, fire [from female voices in cabin]
1410: 27 {29: 35} CAM-? we're on fire, we're on fire.
1410: 28 {29: 36} CAM [sound of tone similar to landing gear warning
                  horn for three seconds]
1410: 30 {29: 38} CAM- 1 ** to Miami.
1410: 29 {29: 37} DEP Critter five ninety two contact Miami center, one thirty
                  two forty five.
1410: 32 {29: 40} RDO- 2 uh, five ninety two needs immediate return to Miami.
1410: 35 {29: 43} DEP Critter five ninety two uh, roger, turn left
                  heading two seven zero. descend and maintain seven thousand.
1410: 36 {29: 44} CAM [sounds of shouting from passenger cabin subsides]
1410: 39 {29: 47} RDO- 2 two seven zero, seven thousand, five ninety two.
1410: 41 {29: 49} DEP what kind of problem are you havin'.
1410: 42 {29: 50} CAM [sound of horn]
1410: 44 {29: 51} CAM- 1 fire.
1410: 46 {29: 53} RDO- 2 uh, smoke in the cockp... smoke in the cabin.
1410: 47 {29: 54} DEP roger.
1410: 49 {29: 56} CAM- 1 what altitude?
1410: 49 {29: 56} CAM- 2 seven thousand.
1410: 52 {29: 59} CAM [sound similar to cockpit door moving]
1410: 57 {30: 04} CAM [sound of six chimes similar to cabin service interphone]
1410: 58 {30: 05} CAM- 3 OK, we need oxygen, we can't get oxygen back there.
1411: 00 {30: 07} INT [sound similar to microphone being keyed only on
                  interphone channel]
1411: 02 {30: 09} CAM- 3 *ba*, is there a* way we could test them?
                  [sound of clearing her voice]
1411: 07 {30: 14} DEP Critter five ninety two uh, when able to turn left heading
                  two five zero. descend and maintain five thousand.
1411: 08 {30: 15} CAM [sound of chimes similar to cabin service interphone]
1411: 10 {30: 17} CAM [sounds of shouting from passenger cabin]
1411: 11 {30: 18} RDO- 2 two five zero seven thousand.
1411: 12 {30: 19} CAM- 3 completely on fire.
1411: 14 {30: 21} CAM [sounds of shouting from passenger cabin subsides]
1411: 19 {30: 26} CAM- 2 outta nine.
1411: 19 {30: 26} CAM [sound of intermittent horn]
1411: 21 {30: 28} CAM [sound similar to loud rushing air]
1411: 38 {30: 44} RDO- 2 Critter five ninety two we need the uh, closest
                  airport available.
1411: 42 {30: 48} DEP Critter five ninety two, they're gonna be standing
                  standing by for you. you can plan....
1411: 45 {30: 51} CAM [one minute and twelve second interruption in CVR
                  recording]
1412: 57 {30: 51} CAM [sound of tone similar to power interruption to CVR]
1412: 57 {30: 51} CAM [sound similar to loud rushing air]
1412: 57 {30: 51} ALL [sound of repeating tones similar to CVR self test signal
                  start and continue]
1412: 58 {30: 52} DEP .. contact Miami approach on, correction you, you, keep
                  on my frequency.
1413: 05 {30: 59} DEP American nine sixty turn left heading two seven
                  zero, join the WINCO transition.
1413: 09 {31: 03} AA960 heading two seven zero to join the WINCO
                  transition, Amer...
1413: 11 {31: 05} CAM [interruption of unknown duration in CVR recording]
14??:?? {31: 08}  UNK *** . [radio transmission from unknown source]
14??:?? {31: 09}  ALL [sound of repeating tones similar to CVR self test signal,
                  starts and continues]
14??:?? {31: 09}  CAM [sound similar to louder rushing air]
14??:?? {31: 19}  END of RECORDING -- END of TRANSCRIPT