Lately, I’ve been trying to find off the beaten path places everywhere I go. So while I was in Miami, I came across a memorial I had never seen before.
I’ve lived in Miami for 21 years before I made my permanent move to Orlando. For the 21 years that I have lived in Miami, I never knew about the ValuJet Flight 592 memorial nor did I know about the tragedy, that occurred when I was about 7 or so.
History of ValuJet Flight 592
It all started on May 11, 1996, when ValuJet Flight 592 left Miami International Airport around 2:05 P.M. headed for Atlanta. A flight that was only supposed to be about 2-3 hours long, never made it to its destination.
According to investigators, the aircraft had crashed due to a fire in the cargo hold, which was caused by oxygen-generating canisters being improperly stored. These canisters that were not topped correctly with safety caps, were triggered during the flight.
Although the pilot had turned the plane around to land back at the airport, it was too late. The fire had already burned through the electric channels causing the captain and first officer to eventually lose control of the engine.
The plane ended up crashing into a deepwater swamp in the Everglades and 110 people lost their lives that day. There were no survivors.
The ValuJet Flight 592 Memorial
When I heard about the history of the memorial, my heart sank. I stood there looking at the list of names and I felt for the families of the people on that plane.
Although it is an off the beaten path site, it’s also one with such a terrible tragedy.
The ValuJet Flight 592 Memorial was built in 1999 on the third anniversary of the accident. Built as pillars, the memorial points to the location of the actual crash site, which was eight miles to the north.
How to find it
It was a bit hard to find this location, however, there are a few markers that help to find this spot.
It is about 10 miles past the Miccosukee Tribe Casino. If you pass the casino, then the location will be on your right-hand side on the north side of the Tamiami Canal.
There’s also a building with the number S333 on it, this is one way I found it.
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2 Comments
Are cars allowed to drive along the canal to the actual crash site or do you have to walk it?
Cars are allowed along the canal to the actual site. My car was just a few inches from me when I went to the site.