Continental Airlines Flight 1404 was a
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers.
Continental started o ...
flight from
Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport , locally known as DIA, is an international airport in the Western United States, primarily serving metropolitan Denver, Colorado, as well as the greater Front Range Urban Corridor. At , it is the largest airport in ...
in
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
, to
George Bush Intercontinental Airport in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
.
[Continental Airlines Responds to Flight 1404 Accident]
''Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers.
Continental started o ...
''. December 21, 2008. Retrieved on December 20, 2008. On the evening of December 20, 2008, the flight crashed while taking off from Denver, resulting in two critical injuries, 36 noncritical injuries, and a
hull loss
A hull loss is an aviation accident that catastrophically damages the aircraft beyond economical repair, resulting in a total loss. The term also applies to situations in which the aircraft is missing, the search for their wreckage is terminated ...
of the
Boeing 737-524
The Boeing 737 Classic is a series of narrow-body airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the second generation of the Boeing 737 series of aircraft.
Development began in 1979 and the first variant, the 737-300, first flew in Febru ...
aircraft.
[Continental Flight CO1404](_blank)
'' Aviation Safety Network''. Retrieved on December 21, 2008.
Incident
![N18611 B737-524](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/N18611_B737-524.jpg)
On Saturday, December 20, 2008, around 18:18 (06:18 pm)
local time, after being cleared for
takeoff
Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle leaves the ground and becomes airborne. For aircraft traveling vertically, this is known as liftoff.
For aircraft that take off horizontally, this usually involves starting with a t ...
on
runway
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...
34R at Denver International Airport, the Boeing 737-524 aircraft veered off the side of the runway before
taxiway WC (less than from the
threshold
Threshold may refer to:
Architecture
* Threshold (door), the sill of a door
Media
* ''Threshold'' (1981 film)
* ''Threshold'' (TV series), an American science fiction drama series produced during 2005-2006
* "Threshold" (''Stargate SG-1''), ...
), skidded across the taxiway and a
service road, and crashed in a
ravine several hundred yards from the runway.
The right engine caught fire and the fire spread to the fuselage.
[Cause of Denver plane accident unclear, transportation officials say]
. ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
''. December 22, 2008. Retrieved on December 22, 2008.
Despite early confusion as to the whereabouts of Flight 1404, firefighters were on scene relatively quickly, as the aircraft came to rest near one of the airport's four
fire house
__NOTOC__
A fire station (also called a fire house, fire hall, firemen's hall, or engine house) is a structure or other area for storing firefighting apparatuses such as fire engines and related vehicles, personal protective equipment, fire ho ...
s.
When they arrived, most of the right side of the plane was on fire, while passengers were climbing out of the left side, being assisted by
flight attendants[Schmollinger, Christian and Cotts, Cynthia.]
Continental Flight Skids Off Runway, Injuring Some (Update3)
" '' Bloomberg''. December 21, 2008. Retrieved on December 21, 2008. and one off-duty Continental Airlines pilot in the cabin, the latter making several trips in and out of the wreckage to ensure everyone was safely out of the aircraft. The off-duty pilot, Richard Lowe, was part of the crew who had flown the incident aircraft into Denver; an
Air Force reservist, Lowe was awarded the
Airman's Medal
The Airman's Medal (AmnM) is a military award and decoration of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force for personnel who distinguish themselves by heroism involving voluntary risk of their life not involving actual combat with ...
for his actions.
The aircraft sustained severe damage. The
fuselage
The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...
was cracked just behind the wings, the number 1 engine and main
landing gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
were sheared off, and the nose gear collapsed.
The fire caused overhead luggage compartments to melt onto seats.
The crash is noted as the most serious incident in Denver International Airport's history.
[Plane wreckage could be moved next week]
. ''9NEWS''. December 26, 2008. Retrieved on December 26, 2008. The aircraft was subsequently
written off
A write-off is a reduction of the recognized value of something. In accounting, this is a recognition of the reduced or zero value of an asset. In income tax statements, this is a reduction of taxable income, as a recognition of certain expenses ...
.
Injuries
![Continental Airlines Flight 1404 wreckage2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Continental_Airlines_Flight_1404_wreckage2.jpg)
Of the 110 passengers and five crew on board,
38 sustained injuries, including broken bones, though everyone on board survived.
[Brakes eyed in Denver plane crash]
" ''MYSA''. December 21, 2008. Retrieved on December 22, 2008. Two passengers and one of the crew were critically injured, though both passengers' conditions were upgraded that evening.
[Wyatt, Kirsten.]
." ''Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
''. Sunday December 21, 2008. By the following morning, fewer than seven people remained hospitalized.
50-year-old
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
David Butler was among the critically injured.
He was hospitalized with serious back injuries and
bone fracture
A bone fracture (abbreviated FRX or Fx, Fx, or #) is a medical condition in which there is a partial or complete break in the continuity of any bone in the body. In more severe cases, the bone may be broken into several fragments, known as a '' ...
s.
The
first officer, 34-year-old Chad Levang, received minor injuries.
Investigation
The aircraft's
black boxes
In science, computing, and engineering, a black box is a system which can be viewed in terms of its inputs and outputs (or transfer characteristics), without any knowledge of its internal workings. Its implementation is "opaque" (black). The te ...
(data and sound) were recovered from the wreckage in usable condition.
[Plane's 'black boxes' recovered]
. ''Denver Post
''The Denver Post'' is a daily newspaper and website published in Denver, Colorado. As of June 2022, it has an average print circulation of 57,265. In 2016, its website received roughly six million monthly unique visitors generating more than 13 ...
''. December 21, 2008. Retrieved on December 22, 2008. The
cockpit voice recorder did not reveal any apparent problem until 41 seconds after the aircraft's brakes were released, just before takeoff.
[DIA crash details emerge]
. '' The Denver Post''. December 23, 2008. Retrieved on December 23, 2008. At that point, a bumping or rattling sound can be heard, and the crew aborted the takeoff four seconds later. Both recorders stopped working six seconds after that (before the plane came to a stop).
At one point during the sequence, the plane's speed reached .
When interviewed, First officer Levang told investigators that he was unaware of any problem until the plane was traveling between , when it moved away from the runway's
centerline
Center line, centre line or centerline may refer to:
Sports
* Center line, marked in red on an ice hockey rink
* Centre line (football), a set of positions on an Australian rules football field
* Centerline, a line that separates the service cou ...
and made a "sudden left turn".
He indicated that Captain Butler, who was too badly injured to interview with officials when the investigation began, was flying at the time.
Both the captain and first officer had clean safety records when the crash occurred, and were experienced pilots.
Wheel marks left on the ground and initial reports from passengers and firefighters indicate that the plane was airborne, briefly.
[Aerial video indicates breakup sequence of crashed plane]
. ''9NEWS''. December 22, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2008. When during the sequence the fire started is unclear.
No snow or ice was on the runway, but
crosswinds were happening at the time.
The flight crew who flew the aircraft to Denver prior to the incident flight was also on board, though not on duty, and reported having no difficulties with the plane during their previous flight.
It had suffered an engine failure and subsequent
emergency landing in 1995, following which both engines were replaced, but was otherwise undamaged in that incident.
Initial speculation suggested that the plane could have suffered a landing gear malfunction that might have resulted in a wheel lockup during the takeoff roll, leading to the
runway excursion.
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incid ...
(NTSB) officials said that when the takeoff began, the aircraft's engines appeared to be functioning properly, its
tires
A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a Rim (wheel), wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide Traction (engineering), t ...
were inflated, and the
brake
A brake is a mechanical device that inhibits motion by absorbing energy from a moving system. It is used for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, wheel, axle, or to prevent its motion, most often accomplished by means of friction.
Background ...
s did not appear as if they had failed or otherwise malfunctioned, concluding that the landing gear did not cause any problems.
On July 17, 2009, focus had shifted to a possible large gust of wind or a patch of ice. Captain David Butler stated: "My speculation is that we either got a big, nasty gust of wind or that, with the controls we had in, we hit some ice." He also stated that he stopped pushing on rudder controls because they had stopped working.
[ The winds were reported at about from the northwest with gusts up to nearly just before the airliner began its takeoff roll northward down a north–south runway. The 737 has a crosswind limitation for takeoff of on a dry runway.][Lowy, Joan.]
Pilot recalls 'massive gust of wind' before crash
" ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
''. July 17, 2009. Retrieved on December 29, 2009.
Contrary to the "average" wind data reported to the incident pilots, the NTSB investigation found that a sensor at one end of the runway showed a crosswind of , with analysis showing the airplane was hit with a peak gust crosswind of .[ In addition to being much higher than the data reported to the pilots as they prepared for takeoff, this was also much higher than the airline industry used in pilot training.][ The NTSB also received a report analyzing 250,327 departures involving 737-500s, and found that only four of those departures (less than 0.002%) had experienced a crosswind above ,][ meaning that for a commercial pilot to have real-life experience with crosswinds anywhere near the velocity that hit Continental Airlines Flight 1404 that day was nearly impossible.][ The NTSB believes that this is why the pilot believed that his rudder controls were not working, deciding to not push the rudder anymore and to focus instead on other, inadequate remedies to the situation.][
On July 13, 2010, the NTSB published that the probable cause of this accident was the captain's cessation of right rudder input, which was needed to maintain directional control of the airplane, about four seconds before the excursion, when the airplane encountered a strong and gusty crosswind – with a contributing factor of inadequate crosswind training for extreme wind gusts in the airline industry.][ A further contributing factor was no requirement for the air traffic control system to provide sufficient wind information to the air traffic controllers (ATCs) and pilots.] In response to the NTSB report, the Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
required the airline industry to adjust the crosswind training protocols for pilots, and required ATCs to provide multiple sources of wind information, rather than averages, to pilots.
Dramatization
The crash of Continental Airlines Flight 1404 was covered in "Runway Runoff" a season-19 (2019) episode of the internationally syndicated Canadian TV documentary series ''Mayday
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications.
It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organiza ...
''.
See also
* List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft
* Aviation safety
References
External links
NTSB Safety Recommendation
Current investigation reports from NTSB
NTSB update on factual information about the accident
Photo slideshow of the aircraft after the crash
(Images)
Cockpit Voice Recorder transcript
{{Portal bar, Aviation, Colorado
1404
Year 1404 (Roman numerals, MCDIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–December
* April or May – Battle of Blackpool Sands: Local English forces defea ...
History of Denver
Airliner accidents and incidents in Colorado
Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 737 Classic
Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 2008
Denver International Airport
2008 in Colorado
December 2008 events in the United States
Aviation accidents and incidents involving runway excursions