Plane Went Down In Florida Fatally Injuring All 110 On Board, Mechanic Still Sought By U.S. Authorities

On May 11, 1996, ValuJet flight 592 went down in the Florida Everglades resulting in the fatal injury of all 110 people on board. Authorities determined that improperly packaged oxygen generators aboard the airplane were the cause of a fire on board that brought it down.

On the 20th anniversary of the accident, aviation security consultant Greg Feith, who was at the time the lead investigator for the NTSB, posted on his Facebook page that the FBI is still involved in trying to apprehend one of several mechanics that had a part in the removal and shipping of the Oxygen Generators (which were determined to be the source of the in-flight fire) illegally on the airplane.

According to an FBI news release, the multi-agency investigation of the accident resulted in the indictment of Sabretech, Inc, an aircraft repair facility, and three of its employees in connection with improperly packaged chemical oxygen generators that were loaded on Flight 592 that had been signed off by company employees despite lacking safety caps.

One of these individuals remains a fugitive from justice.

Mauro Ociel Valenzuela (pictured) was indicted for violation of Title 18, USC, Section 371 – Conspiracy to Make False Statements to FAA and Department of Transportation; Title 18, USC, Section 18, USC, Section 2 and Title 49, USC, Section 46312 – Causing the Transportation of Hazardous Material. He was further indicted for violation of Title 18, USC, Section 401 (3) – Disobedience and Resistance to Lawful Order and Command of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida and violation of Title 18, USC, Section 3146 – Failure to Appear for Trial, as he fled before trial and became a fugitive.

Valenzuela is currently 47 years old. He may be in Chile under a false identity. He also has ties to Georgia. Valenzuela was trained as an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic and at one time was an FAA certified mechanic.

Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Valenzuela is urged to contact the FBI at (754)703-2000.

(Images provided with FBI news release)

FMI: www.facebook.com/AirCrashDetective/posts/10208114345009311