Victims of 1996 ValuJet crash remembered at memorial in the Everglades

MIAMI, Fla. (WINK) — A plane took off from Miami International Airport in 1996 and ended in tragedy.

ValuJet Flight 592 left from Miami to Atlanta on May 11, 1996. The plane was in the air for less than 10 minutes when the pilots knew something was wrong.

"Flight 592, there is an immediate return to Miami," air traffic control said.

"What kind of problem are you having?" air traffic control asked.

"Smoke in the cockpit, smoke in the cabin," the pilots responded.

"Flight 592, we need the closest available airport," the pilots said.

The plane never made it back to Miami. It crashed in the Everglades, killing everyone on board.

Joyce Simonton, Frederick James Steinbrenner Jr. and Ray Lathem were three of the 110 people who lost their lives in the crash. First responders waded through the swamp and dove in the muddy waters to find pieces of the wreckage and memories of loved ones.

Louise Laughlin worked at ValuJet at the time.

"I remember the captain's husband and he said, 'Louise' and he gave me a hug, and he said, 'I found her car keys,'" Laughlin said. "I mean it was like... we both cried a little bit, and he said, 'It's time for me to go home.'"

The National Transportation Safety Board's investigation revealed a fire broke out in the lower cargo compartment. The fire was caused by oxygen generators that weren't packaged correctly and were labeled as empty when they were not.

The generators were missing safety caps and caught fire. The fire burned so hot it tore the plane apart.

John Goglia chaired the NTSB's hearing on the ValuJet crash.

"The airplane was doomed the minute those oxygen generators ignited the fuel that was in the cargo bin, which is bags and everything else," Goglia said. "It was... the airplane was doomed."

A memorial now sits at the site of the crash, symbolizing that even 30 years later, those 110 lives will always be with us. The crash remains the deadliest plane crash in Florida's history.