• Personal Injury Lawsuit

Find a Lawyer in Your State

Need Help?

Submit your claim details for a free, no obligation case review.

Get Started:

A Continental Airlines flight taking off from Denver International Airport on December 20 veered off the runway, skidded into a ravine, broke apart on impact, and burst into flames. There were no fatalities, but 38 people were hurt (four critically).

Uncontrollable on the Runway

The plane, a Boeing 737, was carrying 107 passengers and five crew members that Saturday evening on Flight 1404 to Houston, with cold but clear weather conditions. According to preliminary reports from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the plane had gotten about one-third of the way down the runway, reaching about 100 miles per hour when it began drifting left from the center of the runway.

Pilot Called for Aborted Takeoff

At that point, one of the pilots can be heard on the plane's data recorder calling for an aborted takeoff. The NTSB later interviewed the co-pilot — the flight's captain was too seriously injured to be interviewed — and learned that the plane was uncontrollable and probably moving at about 135 mph when it left the runway. The data recorder also revealed that the plane's thrust reversers (runway brakes) were both activated at the time.

When the plane hit the ravine, the left engine and all of the landing gear were ripped away. The fuselage split, and parts of the plane melted in the raging fire, soon attended by six fire trucks. Incredibly, no one was killed in the impact or fire. A prompt and orderly evacuation of the passengers and crew was conducted, with 20 ambulances from surrounding communities taking the injured to local hospitals.

The NTSB sent 15 investigators to the scene of the wreckage, and has since issued a statement that it may be up to a year to fully investigate and determine the cause of the crash.

(Source: cbsnews.com)

If you have been in an aircraft accident, protect your rights and consult a personal injury attorney.