Airbus Industrie A319-111 accident near Denver, Colorado, June 3, 2003
On June 3, 2003 at about 2:29 am local time, a Airbus Industrie A319-111, registered N910FR, was involved in an accident near Denver, Colorado (Denver International Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 101 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the inflight encounter with severe turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2003 · about 2:29 am local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Denver International Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 101 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus Industrie A319-111 · all A319-111s on the register
- Registration
- N910FR · registry record · serial 1781
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight had just left a holding pattern, southeast of the airport. The pilot made the announcement for passengers and flight attendents to take their seats. Descending through approximately 11,000 feet msl, the flight encountered turbulence. A flight attendant was stowing a beverage cart and was thrown up in the air, fell and fractured her left ankle. The automated weather observation at the Denver airport reported occasional lightning in-cloud, distant southeast; thunderstorm moving southeast; virga distant northeast thru southeast thru south of the station; cumulonimbus clouds distant northeast thru southeast thru south, moving southeast; rain showers in the distant southeast. Aviation Routine Weather Report report taken at 2053 reported winds were from 160 degrees at 13 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; few clouds at 7500 feet agl; scattered clouds at 12,000 feet; agl, broken clouds at 15,000 feet agl; temperature 13 degrees Celsius; dewpoint 9 degrees Celsius; altimeter setting 29.93; virga distant east and south of the station; cumulonimbus clouds distant east and south, moving southeast.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,598 hours in all; 450 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 13, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,700 hours in all; 43 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 26, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,012.2 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 1, 2003; 18.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 154,400 lb
- Seats: 140
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CFM 56-5B 5/P (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CFM 56-5B 5/P (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MMUN Cancun at 9:53 pm
- Destination: DEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 160° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; a few clouds at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from DEN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 4 | ||
| Passengers | 97 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN03LA094.