Airliner goes off runway at Denver airport

[maseman]

Source: MSNBC/AP

DENVER - A Continental Airlines jet taking off from Denver International Airport went off a runway and caught fire Saturday night, forcing more than 100 passengers to evacuate on emergency slides, officials said. At least 38 injuries were reported.

According to Julie King, a spokeswoman with Continental Airlines, flight 1404 from Denver to Houston was trying to take off but "exited" the runway. There were conflicting reports on whether the passenger jet slid or crashed.

The Boeing 737 was carrying 107 passengers and five crew members. Evacuation chutes were activated, and all passengers made it off the plane safely, airport officials said.


Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28330517

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Oh man.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Oh, no...

I truly hope there are no deaths...

Yikes.

[thunder rising]

2. I don't believe a jet can "exit" a runway and have to be evacuated by shutes and NOBODY KNOWS WHY

[maseman]

3. As a pilot I can say that they might not know

There are so many reasons this plane could have gone off the runway. I am sure the pilots know but until their is an investigation we won't know.

There could have been icing problems, engine problems, the plane could have struck something on the runway, the engine could have struck something and flamed out, a tire could have blown, their could have been a hydrolics problem, a computer problem, etc.

[Hawkeye-X]

4. The weather in Denver was in the teens tonight.

I'm looking forward to hearing the final NTSB report as to why this happened.

I'm not sure icing was a factor since it wasn't snowing in Denver, and the runways were clear of ice.

Then again, I'm not a pilot, but rather an aviation fan.

Hawkeye-X

[maseman]

5. Most planes collect ice when descending

When you fly through clouds you can get the ice. If they didn't de-ice then there could still be ice on the leading edges or other areas of the plane causing both extra weight and a loss of the lift of the wing.

It seems like it probably wasn't ice as it was more like an engine or gear failure.

[UpInArms]

6. Continental airliner runs off runway (in Denver), 38 injured

Source: Reuters

DENVER (Reuters) -- Thirty-eight passengers were injured when a Boeing 737 airliner went off a runway and caught fire at Denver International Airport on Saturday night, Denver Aviation Manager Kim Day said.

None of the injuries were life-threatening, but the injured passengers were taken to area hospitals, Day told reporters at a news conference.

There were 112 passengers and crew members on the Boeing 737, Continental Airlines flight 1404, which was taking off en route to Houston, Day said.

Denver assistant fire chief Steve Garrod said the plane "crashed, caught fire" and flames extended into the cabin. He said the right wing was cracked, as was the fuselage.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE4BK0...

[kaiden]

7. "Right wing was cracked." Heh.

[man4allcats]

8. Hah! Hasn't the right wing ALWAYS been cracked?

That's what airlines get for flying with the "right wing." For safety's sake, air carriers might want to consider flying only with port and starboard wings.

[ret5hd]

9. What engine does Continental use on their 737's?``

[Locrian]

10. GE

CFM56-?

[Angleae]

15. Same engine as everyong else's 737s.

CFM56 series (different model between classics (-300/400/500) and nextgen (-600/700/800/900)). There are no alternatives for 737s.

[Stuart G]

11. Everyone survived a crash on ...take off?.. amazing luck, full tanks of gas? a gift.

[LisaL]

12. Probably because it never really took off.

[Stuart G]

13. Still a crash on take off is always dangerous..any kind.

[Muttocracy]

14. passenger account - incredible that everyone made it

kudos to the flight crew for getting everyone out!

http://www.newsweek.com/id/176611

'A Sudden, Terrible Stillness'

A passenger on Continental flight 1404 describes the crash.
By Jeb Tilly | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Dec 21, 2008 | Updated: 5:16 p.m. ET Dec 21, 2008


This will forever be my memory of Christmas 2008: huge flames streaking past the windows. Snow and dirt flying past as we augered into the ground. The inside of the plane so orange with firelight that I could see the destruction—the overhead baggage compartments destroyed and pieces of plastic hanging down, wires everywhere and the acrid smell of burning plastic and jet fuel suddenly thick in the cabin.

...

Things went horribly wrong shortly after we began takeoff. At first, we gained speed just like any flight, then it got a little bumpy, and then a little too bumpy. Then we made a hard, arcing left turn off the runway. That's when what was happening hit home: We'd clearly left the tarmac and gone off-road. Every bump and dip slammed me into my seat, the walls and the bulkhead behind me. People erupted into cries and prayers. I was sure it would stop soon, but we just kept going. What I recall most is the incredible violence of it, like the roughest roller coaster you've ever ridden but with a desperate, roaring engine noise that seemed to get louder as we bounced more and more.

...