Airbus Canada BD500 accident near Denver, Colorado, August 31, 2025
On August 31, 2025 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 2025 Airbus Canada BD500, registered CGYLQ, was involved in an accident during standing near Denver, Colorado (Denver International Airport). It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). 1 person was seriously injured; 123 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Unidentified burned debris in an aft galley oven, which generated smoke and odor in the cabin and led to an air turnback and subsequent evacuation, during which a serious injury occurred.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2025 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Denver International Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 123 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus Canada BD500 1A11, built 2025
- Registration
- CGYLQ · no longer on the register · serial 55355
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Air Canada flight 1038, a scheduled international passenger flight from Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, Colorado, to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, experienced smoke and an electrical odor in the cabin, resulting in an air turnback. After landing, an evacuation was initiated, and one passenger sustained a serious injury. According to the flight crew, during climb out, the flight attendants (FAs) informed them of an electrical burning odor in the aft cabin. The flight crew turned the power to the aft galley off, but the FAs stated the odor was getting stronger and that they observed haze in the cabin. At that time, the flight crew declared an emergency and coordinated with air traffic control for a return to DEN. After landing, the flight crew stopped the aircraft on the runway and contacted the flight attendants to get an update on the situation in the cabin. The FAs stated that the situation was worse and that passengers were experiencing eye irritation. At that time, the captain commanded an evacuation. During the evacuation, FAs observed passengers standing on both wings. One FA exited onto each wing and assisted with the overwing evacuations. A passenger sustained a serious injury to their right ankle and was unable to move away from the slide. At that time, passengers were redirected into the cabin and out the left overwing exit. The remainder of the evacuation was uneventful. Post-event evaluation revealed burned debris on the baffle plate, carriers, and tray installed in an aft galley oven.
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
- Evacuation during standing defining event
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Equipment/furnishings › Buffet/galleys › Inadequate inspection
- Environmental issues › Task environment › Physical workspace › Air quality/dust/smoke › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Illness/injury › Passenger
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 6,648 hours in all; 2,200 in this make and model; 194 in the last 90 days; 57 in the last 30 days; 3,200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 23, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 797 in this make and model; 225 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 9,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 6, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 29, 2025; 663.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 153,999 lb
- Seats: 144
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PW1524G-3 (turbofan); 663 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PW1524G-3 (turbofan); 663 hours total
- Operator: Air Canada
The flight
- Departed from: DEN Denver CO at 1:40 pm
- Destination: YYZ Toronto OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26, 12,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 am from KDEN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 3 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 118 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on March 17, 2026. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.