Transcript of ValuJet air traffic control tape

June 27, 1996

-- The Federal Aviation Administration has released the taped conversations between the Miami International Airport control tower, ValuJet First Officer Richard Hazen and other planes during the moments before the crash May 11 that killed 110 people.

ValuJet planes are referred to as "critter," a reference to the smiling airplane used as a company logo.

Here are some of the radio transmissions, without some of the comments made by other planes traveling in the area at the same time:

• Flight 592: Afternoon departure. Critter 592 is out of 500 going to 5,000.

• Miami Departure (MD): Critter 592 departure, good afternoon, radar contact, climb and maintain 7,000.

• F592: 7,000, 592.

• MD: Critter 592 turn left heading three-six-zero.

• F592: three-six-zero, 592.

• MD: Critter 592, turn left hearing three-three-zero.

• F592: Three-three-zero, 592.

• MD: Critter 592 turn left heading three-zero-zero, join the winco transition, climb and maintain one-six-thousand.

• F592: Three-zero-zero the heading, join the wink at 16,000, Critter 592.

• MD: Critter 592 contact Miami Center on (radio frequency) 30-2-45. So long.

• F592: Critter 592 needs an immediate return to Miami.

• MD: Critter 592, roger, turn left heading 270, descend and maintain 7,000.

• F592: Two-seven-zero, 7,000, 592.

• MD: What kind of problem are you having?

• F592: Smoke in the cockpit, smoke in the cabin.

• MD: Roger.

• MD: Critter 592, when able, turn left heading 250, descend and maintain 5,000.

• F592: Five-two-zero, 7,000.

• MD: Winco, Critter 592 is coming back to Miami. He's got an emergency.

• F592: Critter 592, we need the closest airport available.

• MD: Critter 592, they're gonna be standin' (unintelligible) standing by for you. You can plan runway one-two when able, direct to dolphin now.

• F592: Need radar vectors.

• MD: Critter 592, turn left heading one-four-zero.

• F592: One-four-zero. (That was the last transmission from ValuJet Flight 592).

• MD: Critter 592, keep the turn around heading one-two-zero.

• MD: Critter 592, contact Miami approach on corrections. No, you just keep my frequency.

• MD: Critter 592, you can turn left heading one-zero-zero and join runway one-two localizer at Miami.

• MD: Critter 592 descend and maintain 3,000.

• MD: Critter 592, Opa Locka Airport's about 12 o'clock at 15 miles.

• American Eagle Flight 809: OK, 35-17. How did critter make out?

- June 27, 1996