Continental Airlines Flight 1404

Last updated

Continental Airlines Flight 1404
Continental Airlines Flight 1404 wreckage.jpg
Wreckage of Flight 1404 after crash
Accident
DateDecember 20, 2008 (2008-12-20)
Summary Runway excursion due to abnormal wind gust
Site Denver International Airport, Denver, Colorado
39°52′30″N104°41′13.24″W / 39.87500°N 104.6870111°W / 39.87500; -104.6870111
Aircraft
Aircraft type Boeing 737-524
Operator Continental Airlines
IATA flight No.CO1404
ICAO flight No.COA1404
Call signCONTINENTAL 1404
Registration N18611
Flight originDenver International Airport, Denver, Colorado
Destination George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, Texas
Occupants115
Passengers110
Crew5
Fatalities0
Injuries38
Survivors115 (all)

Continental Airlines Flight 1404 was a Continental Airlines domestic flight from Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado, to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. [1] 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 of the Boeing 737-500 aircraft. [1] [2]

Contents

Incident

N18611, the Boeing 737-524 used for Flight 1404 in September 2006: The aircraft was modified with winglets in November 2008. N18611 B737-524.jpg
N18611, the Boeing 737-524 used for Flight 1404 in September 2006: The aircraft was modified with winglets in November 2008.
The other side of the wreckage Continental Airlines Flight 1404 wreckage3.jpg
The other side of the wreckage

On Saturday, December 20, 2008, around 18:18 (06:18 pm) local time, after being cleared for takeoff on runway 34R at Denver International Airport, the Boeing 737-524 aircraft veered off the side of the runway before taxiway WC (less than 4,000 feet (1,200 m) from the threshold), skidded across the taxiway and a service road, and crashed in a 40-foot-deep (12 m) ravine several hundred yards from the runway. [2] [4] The right engine caught fire and the fire spread to the fuselage. [4] [5]

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 houses. [4] 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 [6] 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. [7] 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 for his actions. [8]

The aircraft sustained severe damage. The fuselage was cracked just behind the wings, the number 1 engine and main landing gear were sheared off, and the nose gear collapsed. [4] The fire caused overhead luggage compartments to melt onto seats. [9]

The crash is noted as the most serious incident in Denver International Airport's history. [10] The aircraft was subsequently written off. [2]

Injuries

Flight 1404 excursion track and wreckage Continental Airlines Flight 1404 wreckage2.jpg
Flight 1404 excursion track and wreckage

Of the 110 passengers and five crew on board, [1] 38 sustained injuries, including broken bones, though everyone on board survived. [3] : 6  [11] [12] Two passengers and one of the crew were critically injured, though both passengers' conditions were upgraded that evening. [13] By the following morning, fewer than seven people remained hospitalized. [13]

50-year-old Captain David Butler was among the critically injured. [14] He was hospitalized with serious back injuries and bone fractures. [15] The first officer, 34-year-old Chad Levang, received minor injuries.

Investigation

The aircraft's black boxes (data and sound) were recovered from the wreckage in usable condition. [16] The cockpit voice recorder did not reveal any apparent problem until 41 seconds after the aircraft's brakes were released, just before takeoff. [17] [18] At that point, a bumping or rattling sound could 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). [17] [18] At one point during the sequence, the plane's speed reached 119 knots (220 km/h; 137 mph). [17] [18]

When interviewed, First Officer Levang told investigators that he was unaware of any problem until the plane was traveling between 87 and 90 knots (161 and 167 km/h; 100 and 104 mph), when it moved away from the runway's centerline and made a "sudden left turn." [18] He indicated that Captain Butler, who was too badly injured to interview with officials when the investigation began, was flying at the time. [17] [18] Both the captain and first officer had clean safety records when the crash occurred and were experienced pilots. [5] [18]

Wheel marks left on the ground, and initial reports from passengers and firefighters indicate that the plane was airborne briefly. [4] [19] When during the sequence the fire started is unclear. [16] [19] No snow or ice was on the runway, but 31-knot (57 km/h; 36 mph) crosswinds were happening at the time. [20] [21]

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. [17] It had suffered an engine failure and subsequent emergency landing in 1995, after which both engines were replaced, but was otherwise undamaged in that incident. [5]

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. [6] [11] [14] National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials said that when the takeoff began, the aircraft's engines appeared to be functioning properly, its tires were inflated, and the brakes did not appear as if they had failed or otherwise malfunctioned, concluding that the landing gear did not cause any problems. [17] [18]

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. [22] The winds were reported at about 24 to 27 knots (44 to 50 km/h; 28 to 31 mph) from the northwest with gusts up to nearly 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) just before the airliner began its takeoff roll northward down a north–south runway. The 737 has a crosswind limitation for takeoff of 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph) on a dry runway. [23]

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 40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph), with analysis showing the airplane was hit with a peak gust crosswind of 45 knots (83 km/h; 52 mph). [3] 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. [3] 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 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph), [3] 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. [22] The NTSB believes that this is why the pilot believed that his rudder controls were not working, deciding not to push the rudder anymore and to focus instead on other inadequate remedies to the situation. [22]

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. [3] 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. [3] In response to the NTSB report, the Federal Aviation Administration 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. [22]

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 . [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China Airlines Flight 642</span> August 1999 plane crash in Hong Kong

China Airlines Flight 642 was a flight that crashed at Hong Kong International Airport on 22 August 1999. It was operating from Bangkok to Taipei with a stopover in Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Airlines Flight 1420</span> June 1999 runway overrun and crash in Arkansas, US

American Airlines Flight 1420 was a flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Little Rock National Airport in the United States. On June 1, 1999, the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating as Flight 1420 overran the runway upon landing in Little Rock and crashed. 9 of the 145 people aboard were immediately killed—the captain and 8 passengers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Airlines Flight 585</span> 1991 aviation accident in Colorado

United Airlines Flight 585 was a scheduled passenger flight on March 3, 1991, from Denver to Colorado Springs, Colorado, carrying 20 passengers and 5 crew members on board. The plane experienced a rudder hardover while on final approach to runway 35 at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, causing the plane to roll over and enter an uncontrolled dive. All 25 people on board were killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continental Airlines Flight 1713</span> 1987 aviation accident

Continental Airlines Flight 1713 was a commercial airline flight that crashed while taking off in a snowstorm from Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado, on November 15, 1987. The Douglas DC-9 airliner, operated by Continental Airlines, was making a scheduled flight to Boise, Idaho. Twenty-five passengers and three crew members died in the crash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USAir Flight 5050</span> 1989 aviation accident

USAir Flight 5050 was a passenger flight that crashed on takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York. As the plane took off from LaGuardia's runway 31, the plane drifted to the left. After hearing a loud bang, the pilots attempted to reject the takeoff, but were unable to stop the plane short of the end of the runway. The plane continued past the end of the runway and plunged into Bowery Bay. Two passengers were killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwest Airlines Flight 1248</span> 2005 aviation accident

Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 was a scheduled passenger flight from Baltimore, Maryland, to Chicago, Illinois, continuing on to Salt Lake City, Utah, and then to Las Vegas, Nevada. On December 8, 2005, the airplane slid off a runway at Chicago-Midway while landing in a snowstorm and crashed into automobile traffic, killing a six-year-old boy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comair Flight 5191</span> 2006 passenger plane crash in Lexington, Kentucky, United States

Comair Flight 5191 was a scheduled United States domestic passenger flight from Lexington, Kentucky, to Atlanta, Georgia. On the morning of August 27, 2006, at around 06:07 EDT, the Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet 100ER crashed while attempting to take off from Blue Grass Airport in Fayette County, Kentucky, 4 miles west of the central business district of the city of Lexington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TWA Flight 159</span> 1967 aviation accident

Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 159 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from New York City to Los Angeles, California, with a stopover in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Kentucky, that crashed after an aborted takeoff from Cincinnati on November 6, 1967. The Boeing 707 attempted to abort takeoff when the copilot became concerned that the aircraft had collided with a disabled DC-9 on the runway. The aircraft overran the runway, struck an embankment and caught fire. One passenger died as a result of the accident.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ADC Airlines Flight 053</span> 2006 aviation accident

ADC Airlines Flight 053 (ADK053) was a scheduled passenger flight operated by ADC Airlines from Nigeria's capital of Abuja to Sokoto. On 29 October 2006, the Boeing 737-2B7 crashed onto a corn field shortly after take-off from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, killing 96 out of 105 people on board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lufthansa Flight 2904</span> 1993 passenger plane crash in Warsaw, Poland

Lufthansa Flight 2904 was an Airbus A320-200 flying from Frankfurt, Germany to Warsaw, Poland that overran the runway at Okęcie International Airport on 14 September 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TWA Flight 843</span> 1992 American air accident

TWA Flight 843 was a scheduled Trans World Airlines passenger flight that crashed after an aborted takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport to San Francisco International Airport (California) in July 1992. Despite an intense fire after the crash, the crew was able to evacuate all 280 passengers from the aircraft. There was no loss of life, although the aircraft was destroyed by the fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwest Airlines Flight 1455</span> Aviation accident in California, USA

Southwest Airlines Flight 1455 was a scheduled passenger flight from McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada, to Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport, Burbank, California, that overran the runway during landing on March 5, 2000. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-3T5, registration N668SW, came to rest on a city street adjacent to a gas station. The National Transportation Safety Board found that the incident was due to the pilots attempting to land with excessive speed. They also found that the air traffic controller placed them in a position from which their only option was a go around. Two of the passengers were seriously injured, and there were many minor injuries. As a result of the incident, the airport installed an Engineered Materials Arrestor System at the east end of the incident runway. The aircraft was written off, making the incident the 10th hull loss of a Boeing 737-300. This was the first major accident in the airline's 29-year history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China Airlines Flight 605</span> 1993 aviation accident

China Airlines Flight 605 was a daily non-stop flight departing from Taipei at 6:30 a.m. and arriving at Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong at 7:00 a.m. local time. On November 4, 1993, the plane went off the runway and overran while landing during a storm. It was the first hull loss of a Boeing 747-400.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USAir Flight 427</span> Aviation accident in 1994

USAir Flight 427 was a scheduled flight from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Palm Beach International Airport, Florida, with a stopover at Pittsburgh International Airport. On Thursday, September 8, 1994, the Boeing 737 flying this route crashed in Hopewell Township, Pennsylvania while approaching Runway 28R at Pittsburgh, which was USAir's largest hub at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aeroméxico Connect Flight 2431</span> Aircraft that crashed in Mexico, July 2018

Aeroméxico Connect Flight 2431 (SLI2431/5D2431) was a Mexican domestic scheduled passenger flight bound for Mexico City that crashed on takeoff from Durango International Airport on July 31, 2018. Shortly after becoming airborne, the plane encountered sudden wind shear caused by a microburst. The plane rapidly lost speed and altitude and impacted the runway, detaching the engines and skidding to a halt about 1,000 feet (300 m) beyond the runway. The plane caught fire and was destroyed. All 103 people on board survived, but 39 passengers and crew members were injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami Air International Flight 293</span> 2019 Crash of a Miami Air International Boeing 737-800

Miami Air International Flight 293 was a military charter from Guantanamo Bay to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, operated by Miami Air International. On May 3, 2019, the Boeing 737-800 aircraft operating the flight overran the runway on landing. Twenty-one people were injured. The aircraft was written off, making it the 17th loss of a Boeing 737-800. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) attributed the accident to hydroplaning caused by heavy rainfall on the ungrooved runway; although the pilots were found to have made a series of errors during final approach and landing, the NTSB concluded that these errors had little effect on the final outcome, as the aircraft would have been unable to stop even if the landing had been executed properly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan International Airlines Flight 590</span> 1991 aviation accident

Ryan International Airlines Flight 590 was a cargo flight carrying mail for the United States Postal Service from Greater Buffalo International Airport (BUF) in Buffalo, New York, to Indianapolis International Airport (IND) in Indiana, with a stopover at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) in Cleveland, Ohio. On February 17, 1991, the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15RC operating the flight crashed on takeoff from Cleveland during icing conditions. Both pilots, the aircraft's only occupants, were killed. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the causes of the crash were the flight crew failing to deice their aircraft, and the inexperience of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), McDonnell Douglas, and Ryan International Airlines with icing condition on DC-9-10 aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ameristar Charters Flight 9363</span> 2017 aviation accident

Ameristar Charters Flight 9363 was an air charter flight from Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan to Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, which experienced a rejected takeoff and runway excursion on March 8, 2017 as the result of a jammed elevator; the McDonnell Douglas MD-83 operating the flight was substantially damaged, but only one injury and no fatalities occurred to the 116 crew and passengers on board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omega Aerial Refueling Services Flight 70</span> 2011 aviation accident

Omega Aerial Refueling Services Flight 70 was a flight supposed to provide aerial refueling to US Navy F/A-18 fighter jets. It crashed on take-off following an engine separation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alaska Airlines Flight 60</span> 1976 aviation accident

The crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 60 was an accident involving a Boeing 727-81 of the American airline Alaska Airlines at Ketchikan International Airport in Ketchikan, Alaska, United States, on April 5, 1976, resulting in the death of a passenger with 32 serious and 17 minor injured survivors among the initial 50 passengers and crew on board.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Continental Airlines Responds to Flight 1404 Accident" (Press release). Continental Airlines. December 21, 2008. Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 "Continental Flight CO1404". Aviation Safety Network . Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Runway Side Excursion During Attempted Takeoff in Strong and Gusty Crosswind Conditions, Continental Airlines Flight 1404, Boeing 737-500, N18611, Denver, Colorado, December 20, 2008" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. July 13, 2010. NTSB/AAR-10/04. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Boniface, Dan; Wolf, Jeffrey (December 21, 2008). "NTSB begins investigation into why plane slid off runway". KUSA . Archived from the original on December 3, 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 "Bumps, rattles heard on plane's recorders". Los Angeles Times. December 22, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
  6. 1 2 Schmollinger, Christian and Cotts, Cynthia. "Continental Flight Skids Off Runway, Injuring Some (Update3)." Bloomberg . December 21, 2008. Retrieved on December 21, 2008.
  7. ↑ Siekert, Airman Alexis (December 10, 2010). "Reservist awarded the Airman's Medal for off-duty heroism". Air Education and Training Command . United States Air Force. Archived from the original on December 19, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  8. ↑ Christenson, Sig (December 10, 2010). "Continental pilot awarded heroism medal". San Antonio Express-News . Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  9. ↑ Correll, DeeDee. "Continental flight veers off Denver runway, injures dozens." Los Angeles Times . December 21, 2008. Retrieved on December 21, 2008. Archived January 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ "Plane wreckage could be moved next week". 9NEWS. December 26, 2008. Retrieved on December 26, 2008. [ dead link ]
  11. 1 2 "Brakes eyed in Denver plane crash [ permanent dead link ]." MYSA. December 21, 2008. Retrieved on December 22, 2008. [ dead link ]
  12. ↑ "Firefighter recalls a miracle on a Denver runway." Associated Press . December 21, 2008. Retrieved on December 21, 2008. [ dead link ]
  13. 1 2 Wyatt, Kirsten. "Firefighter says it's a 'miracle' no one died in Denver burning jet Archived 2012-02-24 at the Wayback Machine ." Associated Press . Sunday December 21, 2008.
  14. 1 2 "Source: Landing gear, wheels, brakes possible cause of crash". CNN. December 22, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
  15. ↑ Pasztor, Andy (December 23, 2008). "Investigators Confirm Continental Jet Crew Tried to Abort Takeoff". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved December 23, 2008.
  16. 1 2 "Plane's 'black boxes' recovered". Denver Post . December 21, 2008. Retrieved on December 22, 2008.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "NTSB: Wheels, brakes didn't cause Continental accident". CNN.com. December 22, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "DIA crash details emerge". The Denver Post . December 23, 2008. Retrieved on December 23, 2008.
  19. 1 2 "Aerial video indicates breakup sequence of crashed plane". 9NEWS. December 22, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2008. [ dead link ]
  20. ↑ "Continental Airlines Statement Regarding Flight 1404." Continental Airlines . December 20, 2008. Retrieved on December 21, 2008. Archived February 18, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  21. ↑ "Continental flight slides off runway; dozens injured". 9NEWS. December 21, 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2008.[ dead link ]
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 "Runway Runoff". Mayday . Season 19. Episode 7. Cineflix. February 11, 2019. Discovery Channel Canada.
  23. ↑ Lowy, Joan. "Pilot recalls 'massive gust of wind' before crash." USA Today . July 17, 2009. Retrieved on December 29, 2009.
External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg "A Plane Runs Into Trouble as It Prepares for Take Off". Smithsonian Channel. October 17, 2019. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.