Boeing 737-291 incident near Denver, Colorado, August 6, 1982
On August 6, 1982, a Boeing 737-291, registered N7356F, suffered minor damage in an incident near Denver, Colorado (Stapleton International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 102 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 1982
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Stapleton International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 102 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-291 · all 737-291s on the register
- Registration
- N7356F · no longer on the register · serial 22742
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CAPTAIN SAID HE FELT A "THUMP" AND THE AIRCRAFT SLUMPED TO THE LEFT AS IT WAS ROTATED FOR TAKEOFF. AT THIS POINT, THE AIRCREW WERE COMMITTED TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF WHICH ACCOMPLISHED SUCCESSFULLY. A LOW PASS WAS MADE FOR TOWER PERSONNEL TO CHECK THE AIRCRAFT. THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE LEFT OUTBOARD TIRE WAS MISSING AND THE LEFT INBOARD TIRE APPEARED TO BE FLAT. THE PLANE WAS FLOWN FOR 2 HRS, 20 MIN TO CONSUME FUEL AND THEN IT WAS LANDED SUCCESSFULLY. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE WHEEL BEAD FLANGE (RIM) OF THE LEFT OUTBOARD WHEEL, PN 2601571-1, HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE. THE CRACK ORIGINATED AT THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE RIM IN AN AREA OF LOCALIZED CORROSION PITTING. THE LEFT OUTBOARD TIRE HAD COME OFF, AND DURING LANDING, THE LEFT INBOARD WHEEL WAS BADLY DAMAGED. ALSO, THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE AND SCUFF MARKS IN THE VICINITY OF THE LEFT MAIN GEAR.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,444 hours in all; 3,204 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 625 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 115,500 lb
- Seats: 111
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P & W JT8D-17 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Frontier Airlines, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DEN Denver CO at 3:58 pm
- Destination: ATL Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17L, 12,000 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 65 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 190°F (88°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from DEN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| 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.
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.