Story highlights In 1996, ValuJet 592 nosedived into the Everglades, killing all aboard

The FBI continues to seek a mechanic who may have played a role in the crash

(CNN) The FBI is offering $10,000 for information leading to the capture of a contract airline mechanic who may have played a role in the deadly 1996 crash of a ValuJet airliner in the Florida Everglades.

The agency's Miami office also has released age-progression photos of the fugitive, Mauro Ociel Valenzuela-Reyes, who fled while facing federal criminal charges in 1999 in connection with work he conducted on the jet before its fated flight.

"We've tried over the years to find him," said FBI Miami Special Agent Jacqueline Fruge, who has led the case since it began. "It bothers me. I've lived and breathed it for many, many years."

Valenzuela-Reyes' ex-wife and children have lived in Atlanta, and he also has family in Santiago, Chile, where he may be living under a false identify and where new FBI posters are being distributed, the agency said.

ValuJet Flight 592</s>MIAMI (AP) — Federal authorities are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture of a fugitive airline mechanic connected to a 1996 passenger plane crash in the Florida Everglades.

The FBI announced the new reward Thursday for information about Mauro Ociel Valenzuela-Reyes, who worked for SabreTech, the maintenance contractor for ValuJet Airlines.

Valenzuela-Reyes was facing federal criminal charges in 1999 after investigators determined he had mishandled oxygen generators that were placed in the DC-9's cargo hold. The generators were missing required safety caps and ignited in the cargo area. The crash killed all 110 passengers and crew members.

Valenzuela-Reyes has family connections to Atlanta and Santiago, Chile. Authorities say he might be living in one of those places under a false identity.</s>MIAMI (WSVN) - More than 20 years after a ValuJet plane crashed in the Everglades, killing 110 people, the FBI is offering a reward for information leading to the capture of an airline mechanic who fled authorities.

The FBI announced a $10,000 reward Thursday for information on the whereabouts of Mauro Ociel Valenzuela-Reyes, a mechanic who worked for ValuJet’s maintenance contractor SabreTech.

The plane had taken off from Miami International Airport on May 11, 1996. The pilot reported a fire in the cargo area about 10 minutes after take-off. Though the plane attempted to return to the airport, it crashed into the Everglades.

Valenzuela-Reyes disappeared after federal charges were filed against him, following a determination by investigators that he had a role in the ValuJet 592 accident.

Oxygen generators in the DC-9’s cargo hold were missing their required safety caps, and caught fire after the plane took off, causing the crash that killed all 110 passengers and crew members.

“He fled before trial,” said FBI Miami Special Agent Jacqueline Fruge, who has been the primary agent on the case since it began. “We want closure.”

The FBI said Valenzuela-Reyes had connections to both Atlanta, Georgia and Santiago, Chile. Authorities believe he may be living under a false identity.

“We’ve tried over the years to find him,” said Fruge, who has been a special agent for 29 years and hopes to close this case while it’s under her watch. “It bothers me. I’ve lived and breathed it for many, many years.”

The agency hopes the new reward and poster, showing age progression images of what Valenzuela-Reyes would look like today, may lead to a tip to bring him to justice. If captured, he would face charges related to the crash along with additional federal charges for fleeing and failing to appear at his trial.

Copyright 2018 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>The FBI’s Miami Field Office has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Mauro Ociel Valenzuela-Reyes, a mechanic who they say may have played a role in the fatal air crash of a ValuJet Airlines passenger plane in 1996.

The airplane was carrying 104 passengers and five crew members when it plunged into the Florida Everglades while trying to return to Miami International Airport, killing everyone on board and leaving a crater in the swampland.

According to the FBI, Valenzuela-Reyes worked for ValuJet Airlines’ maintenance contractor, SabreTech. The mechanic was facing federal criminal charges in 1999, after the crash investigators determined that he had played a part in the mishandling and packaging of oxygen generators placed in the plane’s cargo hold.

The oxygen generators were missing their required safety caps and set alight in the cargo hold, leading to the fatal crash, a statement by the FBI explains. Valenzuela-Reyes fled the scene before trial and remains on the run.

FBI Miami has now released a new wanted poster and announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to Valenzuela-Reyes’ whereabouts. The fugitive has family living in Atlanta, Georgia, and Santiago, Chile, and may be living in either place under a false identity, the FBI says. If captured, Valenzuela-Reyes would face charges concerning the crash and fleeing his trial.

“We’ve tried over the years to find him. It bothers me,” said Jacqueline Fruge, a special agent with FBI Miami, in a statement. “I’ve lived and breathed it for many, many years.”</s>The Miami Field Office of FBI announced a reward of $10,000 on Thursday after more than 20 years of failing to catch Mauro Ociel Valenzuela-Reyes, the man wanted on charges of causing the crash of ValuJet flight 592 in 1996, killing 10 people.

“He fled before trial,” FBI Miami Special Agent Jacqueline Fruge said in a written statement from the bureau, Fox News reported. “We’ve tried over the years to find him. It bothers me. I’ve lived and breathed it for many, many years. We want closure.”

Fruge had been the lead investigator in the case and unsuccessfully worked with the victims’ families to catch Valenzuela-Reyes.

The reward is being offered by the department for “a tip to bring him to justice.” Along with the offer, the FBI also released sketches of an aged version of the suspected perpetrator in public, as the only available picture of Valenzuela-Reyes was from 1996.

Here are a few facts about Valenzuela-Reyes and the crime he is suspected of committing:

1) Valenzuela-Reyes, 48, a maintenance contractor who used to work for the now defunct SabreTech, was charged with placing packaged oxygen generators in the plane’s cargo area without putting safety caps on them.

2) As a result of his alleged action, ValuJet flight 592, which took off from Miami International Airport and was headed to Atlanta, Georgia, May 11, 1996, caught fire 10 minutes into its departure. As the plane attempted to turn around and head back to the airport, it crashed into the everglades, killing everyone onboard.

3) ) The plane “slammed nose-first into the muck and disappeared under the earth,” according to 1996 Miami Herald archive story. Determining the cause of the crash “proved challenging” because the remains of the plane were difficult to analyze.

4) A federal judge found SabreTech guilty of failing to train its employees and allowing hazardous materials to be transported into the plane. Investigation proved 144 outdated oxygen generator canisters were placed in flight 592 from another plane. Furthermore, the canisters were listed as “empty” even though they were filled, Patch reported.

5) Two other employees of the company were arrested on charges of conspiracy and lying on repair records, but were later acquitted.

6) Valenzuela-Reyes might be using a fake name and identity while on the run. According to the investigators, he has family in Santiago, Chile, where his ex-wife and children live. It is not clear whether he had any contact with them in the past decade.

7) As he never faced the charges, if caught, Valenzuela-Reyes will also face additional federal charges for fleeing and failing to appear at his trial.

If you have any tips regarding the whereabouts of Valenzuela-Reyes, you can get in contact with the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).</s>For decades, authorities have wanted to nab an airline mechanic they say played a role in a 1996 plane crash in the Everglades that killed all 110 aboard.

On Thursday, the FBI offered a $10,000 reward for the capture of Mauro Ociel Valenzuela-Reyes, a mechanic who worked for ValuJet Airlines’ maintenance contractor, SabreTech.

He was facing federal criminal charges in 1999 when he vanished. “He fled before trial,” FBI Miami Special Agent Jacqueline Fruge said in a news release.

ValuJet Flight 592 departed from Miami International Airport on May 11, 1996, and a fire happened in the plane’s cargo area soon after. The plane tried to return to the airport, but instead crashed in the Everglades.

Valenzuela-Reyes was charged in the alleged mishandling and packaging of oxygen generators that were in the plane’s cargo hold, according to the FBI. The generators, which were missing safety caps, ignited, leading to the crash, the agency said.

In addition to the $10,000 reward, the FBI also released a wanted poster that shows an array of photos of Valenzuela-Reyes, including what he might look like today.

In 2016, the FBI reminded the public that Valenzuela-Reyes still wasn’t in custody. He has links to Atlanta, Ga., where his ex-wife and kids have lived, as well as Santiago, Chile, where the FBI says his family lives. The FBI said he may be living there under a false name.

“We’ve tried over the years to find him,” Fruge said of the case, according to the news release. “It bothers me. I’ve lived and breathed it for many, many years.”

Two other SabreTech employees were charged in the case but won acquittals, the FBI said. Valenzuela-Reyes would face charges stemming from the crash as well as charges for fleeing and failing to appear at trial.</s>MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — The FBI is stepping up the search for a man they say may have had a role in the fatal crash of Valujet 592 in the Everglades in 1996.

Mauro Valenzuela-Reyes was a mechanic who worked for Valujet’s maintenance contractor, Sabre Tech.

Valenzuela-Reyes was facing federal criminal charges in 1999 after investigators determined he had mishandled oxygen generators that were placed in the DC-9’s cargo hold. The generators were missing required safety caps and ignited in the cargo area. The crash killed all 110 passengers and crew members.

Valenzuela-Reyes has family connections to Atlanta and Santiago, Chile. Authorities say he might be living in one of those places under a false identity.</s>The FBI is offering $10,000 for information leading to the capture of a contract airline mechanic who may have played a role in the deadly 1996 crash of a ValuJet airliner in the Florida Everglades.

The agency's Miami office also has released age-progression photos of the fugitive, Mauro Ociel Valenzuela-Reyes, who fled while facing federal criminal charges in 1999 in connection with work he conducted on the jet before its fated flight.

"We've tried over the years to find him," said FBI Miami Special Agent Jacqueline Fruge, who has led the case since it began. "It bothers me. I've lived and breathed it for many, many years."

Valenzuela-Reyes' ex-wife and children have lived in Atlanta, and he also has family in Santiago, Chile, where he may be living under a false identify and where new FBI posters are being distributed, the agency said.

Valenzuela-Reyes worked for SabreTech, the airline's maintenance contractor. Crash investigators determined he had a role in the mishandling and packaging of oxygen canisters that were placed in the DC-9's cargo hold, the FBI said. The generators, which were missing their required safety caps, ignited in the cargo area, causing the crash that killed all 110 passengers and crew members aboard , the agency said. Two other SabreTech employees were acquitted in the case, the FBI said. The company was found guilty on charges of failing to properly train its employees and reckless transportation of hazardous materials, though a federal court threw out the materials charges on appeal. on May 11,1996. Ten minutes into the flight, a fire was reported in the cargo area, forcing the pilot to turn around. on May 11,1996. Ten minutes into the flight, a fire was reported in the cargo area, forcing the pilot to turn around. ValuJet flight 592 took off from Miami International Airport on May 11,1996. Ten minutes into the flight, a fire was reported in the cargo area, forcing the pilot to turn around. A police helicopter hovers over an airboat on May 12, 1996, at the crash site of ValuJet Flight 592 in the Florida Everglades. But, the plane never made it back. "It just went to pieces," Fruge said, recalling the eerie calm of the crater and shoes strewn in the surrounding sawgrass and muck. Hazardous materials team members remove a bag from an airboat on May 14, 1996, at the crash site area in the Florida Everglades. If captured, Valenzuela-Reyes would face charges for failing to appear at trial, in addition to the initial charges , which include making false statements to the Federal Aviation Administration and the US Department of Transportation, conspiracy to make false statements and causing the transport of hazardous materials, according to the FBI. Fruge, a 29-year special agent who aims to close the case, hopes the reward money and age-progression photos generate new tips. "We want closure," she said.</s>For decades, Mauro Ociel Valenzuela-Reyes has been wanted on charges in connection with the ValuJet plane crash that killed 110 people in the Everglades in 1996.

On Thursday, FBI officials announced a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest of the 48-year-old, who has evaded capture since 1999.

“He fled before trial,” FBI Miami Special Agent Jacqueline Fruge said in a written statement from the bureau. Fruge has been the primary agent on the case since the crash and has worked closely with the victims’ families.

On May 11, 1996, ValuJet flight 592 took off from Miami International Airport headed to Atlanta. About 10 minutes into the flight, the pilot reported a fire in the cargo area. As the plane headed back to the airport to address the issue, it crashed into the Everglades, killing everyone on board. 

 Recovery personnel work at the crash site of ValuJet Flight 592. 

 Authorities said 144 outdated oxygen generator canisters were removed from another plane and placed onto Flight 592. Those canisters had been incorrectly listed as “empty” and did not have the required safety caps on, investigators said. They said the canisters are what ignited in the cargo area of the plane. Investigators said Valenzuela-Reyes, who worked for SabreTech, the airline’s maintenance contractor, had a part in packaging the canisters and allowing them onboard.

In 1999, a federal jury ruled SabreTech recklessly allowed hazardous materials to be transported and failed to train its employees. While two other SabreTech employees were acquitted on charges of conspiracy and lying on repair records, Valenzuela-Reyes went on the run, according to investigators.

Investigators said Valenzuela-Reyes has connections to Atlanta, where his ex-wife and children live, as well as to Santiago, Chile, where he has family. He may be using a fake name, the FBI said.

“We’ve tried over the years to find him,” Fruge said. “It bothers me. I’ve lived and breathed it for many, many years.”

She said the FBI hopes the new reward and posters will lead to more tips and eventually his arrest.

“We want closure,” she said.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Valenzuela-Reyes is asked to contact the FBI at 800-225-5324.</s>MIAMI -- Federal authorities are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture of a fugitive airline mechanic connected to a 1996 passenger plane crash in the Florida Everglades. The FBI announced the new reward Thursday for information about Mauro Ociel Valenzuela-Reyes, who worked for SabreTech, the maintenance contractor for ValuJet Airlines.

Valenzuela-Reyes was facing federal criminal charges in 1999 after investigators determined he had mishandled oxygen generators that were placed in the DC-9's cargo hold. The generators were missing required safety caps and ignited in the cargo area. The Flight 592 crash killed all 110 passengers and crew members.

"He fled before trial," said FBI Miami Special Agent Jacqueline Fruge, who has led the agency's investigation.

Valenzuela-Reyes has family connections to Atlanta and Santiago, Chile. Authorities say he might be living in one of those places under a false identity.

"We've tried over the years to find him," said Fruge. "It bothers me. I've lived and breathed it for many, many years."

CBS Miami reported that the crash was among the worst air disasters in Florida's history.

Rescuers arrived at the scene far from any roads in the Everglades about 20 miles east of Miami to find a shocking sight. The plane was gone, shredded into bits by the impact of the crash. Metal fuselage parts and small pieces of human tissue floated in a few feet of water, just below the service.

It was a charnel house that sickened searchers, and a hallowed site to those who lost someone in the crash.

It would be months before the majority of the plane's pieces and all of the parts of the victims could be retrieved, and months more before the official cause was released.

What investigators knew was that the plane had been destroyed in mid-air by a massive on-board fire. When investigators finished their job, they believed they had the cause. Canisters which generated oxygen for the plane's emergency systems, apparently improperly stored and loaded aboard the plane, ignited and caused tires in the hold to blaze.

Thick smoke filled the cabin, the pilots lost control, and the plane smashed into the shallow waters of the Everglades at near top speed. The plane disintegrated on impact.

The improper handling of the canisters, which used a chemical reaction to produce oxygen and in the process, generated heat, was blamed on Sabretech, a Valujet subcontractor. Something caused a canister to spark about 6 minutes into the flight, torching the tires upon which the box had been placed.

The cabin was filled with smoke, control cables were burned, and the doomed plane plunged to its death.

The finger pointing lasted more than a year. The airline was blasted for shoddy oversight. The subcontractor was accused of failing to follow procedure. The investigation highlighted a number of areas in which safety could be improved, one of the legacies of the Valujet disaster.
The FBI offers a US$10,000 reward for information leading to the capture of mechanic Mauro Ociel Valenzuela-Reyes, who is accused of triggering the 1996 disaster by mispackaging oxygen cylinders that caught fire in the DC-9's hold. He fled justice in 1999.