Families gather seeking closure 20 years after ValuJet crash

Relatives of the 110 people killed when ValuJet Flight 592 caught fire and plunged into Florida's Everglades gathered Wednesday at the remote crash site on the 20th anniversary of their deaths. The first time Walter Simonton saw the Everglades, the desolation overwhelmed him as he grieved for his mother, whose plane was swallowed up by the wetlands. It was shortly after the May 11, 1996, crash of the Atlanta-bound flight from Miami, and mourners gathered with airline officials and emergency responders to drop roses into the murky waters. Twenty years later, Simonton still felt haunted by the memory as he prepared to return to the remote crash site with his brother and niece. "Just vast water. Vast grass," he said, unable to find other words to describe the scene. The crash over Mother's Day weekend killed all 110 passengers and crew members. The plane plunged into the Everglades while trying to make an emergency return to Miami International Airport. Federal investigators ultimately blamed a fire caused by improperly stored cargo. Already beset by poor safety ratings, ValuJet never recovered and merged with another low-cost carrier. ValuJet's maintenance contractor, Sabretech, faced criminal charges and went out of business.<br/>