Valujet DC-9-21s

Description

Valujet Airlines began life with great promise as a low-cost carrier in 1993. Operating from Atlanta, GA with used DC-9 aircraft, the airline grew rapidly, and achieved profitability faster than any airline in U.S. history. That growth and profit came with a cost. The airline’s maintenance and safety record was terrible, due to a lack of oversight and excessive cost cutting. Prior to the tragic crash of Flight 592 in the Florida Everglades in May 1996, Valujet had added four ex-SAS DC-9-21s. The DC-9-21 was a combination of the short fuselage of the DC-9-10 and larger wing and engines of the DC-9-30. Only ten DC-9-21s were built, all originally delivered to SAS. The DC-9-21 aircraft were acquired during a time when there was a shortage of the -30 series airframes that made up the Valujet fleet.