Lessons from 1970 DC-9 ditching into Caribbean , 1996 crash off Comoro Islands . Title: Why do we have to wait for the sun to go down before it's dark? seat belt failure lead to new design ; jet did n't have enough life rafts . Passengers in 1996 crash inflated vests before getting out , were trapped . More may have survived if those planes were equipped like the Airbus 320 and if passengers followed standard evacuation procedures , Corsetti told CNN . A320s have a `` ditching button '' to close valves , allowing jet to float longer .
Lessons from 1970 DC-9 ditching into Caribbean , 1996 crash off Comoro Islands . Title: Why do we have to wait for the sun to go down before it's dark? seat belt failure lead to new design ; jet did n't have enough life rafts . Passengers in 1996 crash inflated vests before getting out , were trapped . A320s have a `` ditching button '' to close valves , allowing jet to float longer .