- Date
- December 20, 2008, 18:18 local (Dec 21, 2008, 01:18 UTC)
- Place
- Denver, CO
- Injuries
- 6 serious, 41 minor, 68 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N18611Boeing 737-524
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Status
- Completed · report August 17, 2010
- Report
- Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 20081220853549A
- Case key
- 69602
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The captain’s cessation of right rudder input, which was needed to maintain directional control of the airplane, about 4 seconds before the excursion, when the airplane encountered a strong and gusty crosswind that exceeded the captain’s training and experience. Contributing to the accident were the following factors: 1) an air traffic control system that did not require or facilitate the dissemination of key, available wind information to the air traffic controllers and pilots; and 2) inadequate crosswind training in the airline industry due to deficient simulator wind gust modeling.
Findings · 10
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-10/04. On December 20, 2008, about 1818 mountain standard time, Continental Airlines flight 1404, a Boeing 737-500, N18611, departed the left side of runway 34R during takeoff from Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, Colorado. A postcrash fire ensued. The captain and 5 of the 110 passengers were seriously injured; the first officer, 2 cabin crewmembers, and 38 passengers received minor injuries; and 1 cabin crewmember and 67 passengers (3 of whom were lap-held children) were uninjured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The scheduled, domestic passenger flight, operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121, was departing DEN and was destined for George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, Texas. At the time of the accident, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, with strong and gusty winds out of the west. The flight operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan.
Factual narrative
The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-10/04. On December 20, 2008, about 1818 mountain standard time, Continental Airlines flight 1404, a Boeing 737-500, N18611, departed the left side of runway 34R during takeoff from Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, Colorado. A postcrash fire ensued. The captain and 5 of the 110 passengers were seriously injured; the first officer, 2 cabin crewmembers, and 38 passengers received minor injuries; and 1 cabin crewmember and 67 passengers (3 of whom were lap-held children) were uninjured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The scheduled, domestic passenger flight, operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121, was departing DEN and was destined for George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, Texas. At the time of the accident, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, with strong and gusty winds out of the west. The flight operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N18611
- Reported as
- Boeing 737-524
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27324
- Engines
- CFM Intl. CFM56 SERIES, 2,200 horsepowerCFM Intl. CFM56 SERIES, 2,200 horsepower
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Continental Airlines Inc
- Registered owner
- Wells Fargo Bank Northwest Na Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- KDEN · Denver, CO
- Destination
- KIAH · Houston, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KDEN · Denver International Airport, runway 34R, 12,000 × 150 ft, concrete
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Medical
- Class 1
- Flight hours
- 13,100 total · 6,300 in this make and model · 915 in the last 90 days · 81 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 34
- Medical
- Class 1
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 918 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC)
- Wind
- 270° at 27 knots, gusting 42
- Observed at
- KDEN
Docket · 91
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 17, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 111 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.