Boeing 737-524 accident near Denver, Colorado, December 21, 2008
On December 21, 2008 at about 1:18 am local time, a Boeing 737-524, registered N18611, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Denver, Colorado (Denver International Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 6 people were seriously injured and 41 people had minor injuries; 68 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 2008 · about 1:18 am local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Denver International Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 6 people were seriously injured and 41 people had minor injuries; 68 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-524 · all 737-524s on the register
- Registration
- N18611 · no longer on the register · serial 27324
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during takeoff
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Crosswind correction › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incomplete action › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Availability of related info
- factor Organizational issues › Management › Communication (organizational) › Between groups/organizations › ATC
- factor Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Training › (general) › Not specified
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Equipment/furnishings › (general) › Damaged/degraded
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Equipment/furnishings › Buffet/galleys › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Flight time: 13,100 hours in all; 6,300 in this make and model; 915 in the last 90 days; 81 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
Co-pilot
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 918 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
The aircraft
- Seats: 115
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES; 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES; 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Continental Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: KDEN Denver CO
- Destination: KIAH Houston TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 34R, 12,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 270° at 27 knots, gusting 42
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 1:34 am from KDEN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 2 | 1 | ||
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 5 | 38 | 67 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.