Uncontained engine failure/fire, ValuJet Airlines flight 597, Douglas DC-9-32, N908VJ, Atlanta, Georgia, June 8, 1995

Original publisher: Washington, D.C. : National Transportation Safety Board, [1996] OCLC Number: (OCoLC)310948618 Subject: Aircraft accidents -- Georgia -- Atlanta. Excerpt: ... 7 power restores power to the Emergency DC Bus from the aircraft's batteries; however, unless the emergency light switch is first moved from the " ARMED " to the " ON " position, this action will also extinguish the emergency lights and resume charging of the battery packs. Placing the cabin emergency lighting switch to the " ON " position was the fourth item on the ValuJet Emergency 5 Evacuation Checklist. The airplane was equipped with a public address ( PA ) system that enabled the flightcrew and flight attendants to address occupants through loudspeakers located throughout the cabin. The PA system is also powered by the Emergency DC Bus. An interruption of electrical power to the Emergency DC Bus disables the PA system. Manual selection of emergency electrical power restores power to the PA system. 1.7 Meteorological Information Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport hourly weather observation at 1850 was: sky - scattered clouds, ceiling at 5,500 feet; visibility - 12 miles; temperature - 93 ° F; dew point - 71 ° F; wind - 290 ° at 8 knots; and altimeter setting - 29.99. The weather was essentially the same at the next hourly observation. 1.8 Aids to Navigation There were no known difficulties with aids to navigation. 1.9 Communications There were no known external communication difficulties involving the airplane. The flightcrew of Delta flight 846, which had been cleared to " position and hold " behind flight 597, advised the ValuJet crew of a fire in the right engine, prompting the captain to reject the takeoff and stop the airplane on the runway. After the captain stopped the airplane and the engines were shut down, he attempted to communicate to the passengers using the PA system but was unable to do...