Remembering ValuJet Flight 592 — and how its legacy lives on

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Twenty years have passed since a DC-9 operated by budget carrier ValuJet crashed into the Florida Everglades, taking the lives of 110 people. After months of investigation, the NTSB determined that an illegal shipment of uncapped oxygen generators (secured only by duct tape) fueled a cargo fire which included tires and other ValuJet company materials, and brought down the Atlanta-bound airliner shortly after takeoff from Miami International Airport on May 11, 1996. The NTSB never determined the ignition source that started the fire.

Drones: Naughty or Nice this Christmas?

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Okay, let’s face it, drones are fun. That is why perhaps more than a million Americans are expected to receive or buy a drone this holiday season. They can be purchased for as little as $50 for adults and kids alike, but they were not built in Santa’s workshop so it is important to remember that drones flown above 400 feet are not toys but aircraft.

FAA extinguishes E-Cigarettes in time for the Holidays

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What took so long is an issue for another day, but the FAA has finally acted to keep electronic cigarettes and lithium ion batteries out of checked baggage. Why? No, it’s not because Americans will pack airplanes by the millions this Thanksgiving. It’s because e-cigs can catch fire.