Lessons from Douglas DC-9 ditching into Caribbean , 1996 crash off Comoro Islands . DC-9 seat belt failure lead to new design ; jet did n't have enough life jackets . Passengers in 1996 crash inflated vests before climbing out , were rescued . 40 in the 1970 crash and 52 in the 1996 incident . A320s have a ` ` ' button '' to the valves , allowing jet to last longer .
Lessons from Douglas DC-9 ditching into Caribbean , 1996 crash off Comoro Islands . DC-9 seat belt failure lead to new design ; jet did n't have enough life jackets . Passengers in 1996 crash inflated vests before climbing out , were rescued . A320s have a ` ` ' button '' to the valves , allowing jet to last longer .