(12 May 1996) English/Nat
Virtually nothing is left of the jetliner carrying 109 people which crashed into the Florida Everglades swampland shortly after taking off from Miami airport.
The rescue operation has been hampered by the larger amount of airline fuel lying on the surface of the water.
No bodies have been found yet and National Transport Safety Board officials have arrived at the scene to begin their investigation.
Some distance from the site of the crash in the Florida Everglades, the first officials from the National Transport Safety Board arrived to begin their investigation.
The investigation will divide into specialist groups examining operations, air traffic control, aircraft performance, structures and systems as well as the weather and the pilot's actions.
Also involved in its investigation will be the Federal Aviation Authority, ValuJet, the plane's operator, the engine manufacturer Pratt and Whitney and Macdonnell Douglas- the aircraft manufacturer as well as representatives from the Air Traffic Controllers Union and the Flight Attendants Union.
SOUNDBITE:
We will then be going out to the site, tomorrow evening we will have a progress meeting of the groups privately, and then after that and we will probably have another briefing for you folks.
SUPER CAPTION: Howard Francis, Vice Chairman N-T-S-B
Finding the so-called black box which has the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder is a high priority but they acknowledge the job ahead of them will be extremely difficult.
SOUNDBITE:
Well, I think its fair to say that this is not going to be the friendliest environment to do an accident investigation that one could have, so we will have to deal with that. It's going to be difficult. but with the technologies that are available and the specialists that we have available are capable of dealing with it.
SUPER CAPTION: Howard Francis, Vice Chairman N-T-S-B
At the coordination site, there is a huge logistics operation underway involved in organising the search and rescue efforts.
Locals continued arriving with their airboats - the most effective form of transport across the marshy everglades.
But the danger of the excess airline fuel catching fire is hampering the rescue efforts and keeping many volunteers on land.
SOUNDBITE:
Question: How many people do you have out there looking?
Answer: Right now, I don't have an exact number, but we've had initially dozens out there. We've had to retreat, basically just pull out of the area due to the high fuel content in the water. It can pose an incredible danger to the rescuers as well as to any victims that may still be left out there. And once again, it's high water access. The water's not moving, it's not like being out in the ocean. The fuel will just sit there waiting for an ignition source right now. So we have to maintain extreme caution.
SUPER CAPTION: Luis Fernandez, Metro Dade Fire Department Chief
The waters of the glades pose another threat to rescuers.
SOUNDBITE:
Question: What about alligators?
Answer: That was one of the first concerns. Rescuers do have to be aware that we have been instructed to be aware of snakes as well as alligators in the area. So far we have not had any counts of people being bitten so far.
SUPER CAPTION: Luis Fernandez, Metro Dade Fire Department Chief
As night fell on the crash site, rescuers began gearing up for the difficult nighttime conditions.
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