Boeing 737-3M8 incident near Denver, Colorado, November 29, 2003
On November 29, 2003 at about 3:40 pm local time, a Boeing 737-3M8, registered N303FL, was involved in an incident near Denver, Colorado (Denver International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 135 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The restricted movement of the flight control yoke and tiller wheel steering for reasons undetermined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 2003 · about 3:40 pm local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Denver International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 135 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-3M8 · all 737-3M8s on the register
- Registration
- N303FL · no longer on the register · serial 25039
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on final approach approximately 1/4 mile from the end of the runway, the captain applied right aileron to correct for a crosswind. He said the control yoke felt like it had "bound up." He used "excessive pressure" to get the control yoke to respond. An uneventful landing was made. During taxi, the captain cycled the control yoke left and right. After a few cycles, it seemed to move freely. He made an intentional sharp left turn and the tiller wheel seemed to "bind up." Mechanics performed a nose landing gear wheel steering test, and checked the cable tension to the nose wheel steering. A leak was discovered in the right hand nose steering accumulator, but the leak was "within limits." The case drain plugs and filters and the left and right hand aileron cables from the main wheel well outboard were inspected. Following flight control movement card 7-9002, mechanics performed an aileron PCU internal leak check. No discrepancies were noted. The airplane was then test flown and was returned to service. No data was recovered from the DFDR that would explain the event as described by the captain.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 144 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 6, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,600 hours in all; 1,424 in this make and model; 176 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days; 3,321 as pilot in command; 747 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 9, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 38,084 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 19, 2003; 88 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 135,000 lb
- Seats: 144
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CFM-56-3B2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CFM-563B2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Frontier Airlines Inc
The flight
- Departed from: MKE Milwaukee WI at 12:37 pm
- Destination: DEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 250,000 ft; a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from DEN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 130 |
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.