Years after ValuJet crash, hazardous material still carried by planes

May 10, 2000
Web posted at: 8:53 p.m. EDT (0053 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Four years ago Thursday, a fire caused by exploding oxygen generators sent ValuJet Flight 592 crashing into the Florida Everglades, killing 110 people.

Soon after that disaster, oxygen-generating canisters were banned as cargo on passenger planes. But despite that ban, such canisters have ended up on passenger aircraft 11 times, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

"I don't think this poses a significant risk to the flying public," said Bruce Butterworth of the Federal Aviation Administration. "What is of probably more concern to us is that the generators continue to fly in spite of a prohibition."

Five times, the canisters were shipped by the airlines. In most cases, federal regulators believe the canisters -- sometimes mislabeled -- were mistakenly shipped.

One company was hit with a fine of $1 million for hundreds of oxygen generators carried to Chicago aboard an Air France flight.

But oxygen canisters aren't the only questionable cargo that could pose a risk to passengers, according to the FAA. The agency says other problem items aboard planes include:

  •  Toolboxes containing flammable gas torches.

  •  Poorly packaged batteries, such as back-up units to power computers.

  •  Aircraft parts leaking jet fuel.

Overall incidents of hazardous material getting onto passenger aircraft have more than doubled -- from 50 cases in 1998 to 113 incidents in 1999, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Violators have included the aviation industry, manufacturers and even passengers.

Experts worry some cases may be deliberate since cargo carriers, which should handle hazardous materials, only service 20 percent of U.S. airports:

"It does pose a temptation on some people not to declare their materials and take a chance -- even out of ignorance -- to get their products aboard aircraft where otherwise they would be forbidden," said Alan Roberts, president of the Hazardous Materials Advisory Council.

Airlines insist cases of hazardous materials being carried on passenger planes are low when compared to the 23,000 flights departing each day.

Regulators believe there is not so much an increase in hazardous materials shipments, as it is that tougher enforcement is catching more contraband.

Still, airlines are spending $700 million to put smoke detectors and fire suppression systems in the cargo holds of all their aircraft by next March.

Reporter Kathleen Koch contributed to this report.

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AirTran Airways
FAA - Federal Aviation Administration
National Transportation Safety Board
  •  NTSB - Aviation
  •  NTSB Report on Valujet Crash
Hazardous Materials Advisory Council

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