Boeing 737-291 accident near Denver, Colorado, December 10, 1982
On December 10, 1982 at about 2:30 am local time, a Boeing 737-291, registered N7346F, was involved in an accident near Denver, Colorado (Stapelton International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 57 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 accident. 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
- December 10, 1982 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Stapelton International
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 57 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-291 · all 737-291s on the register
- Registration
- N7346F · no longer on the register · serial 21751
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A "POWER-BACK" OPERATION FROM THE TERMINAL GATE, A GROUND SIGNAL PERSON AND TWO WING WALKER WERE USED IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROCEDURES. AFTER REVERSE THRUST WAS APPLIED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS ROLLING BACKWARDS. THE SIGNAL PERSON COMMUNICATED AN EMERGENCY STOP SIGNAL TO THE PILOT WHEN HE SAW CROSSING GROUND TRAFFIC (ANOTHER AIRCRAFT). WHEN THE CAPTAIN SAW THE SIGNAL, HE TRANSITIONED BRAKES. AT THAT TIME, A FLIGHT ATTENDANT WAS THROWN AGAINST THE CORNER OF A CART IN THE GALLEY AND INJURED. ACCORDING TO THE POWER-BACK PROCEDURES, THE AIRCRAFT WILL BE STOPPED (BOTH IN NORMAL AND EMERGENCY SITUATIONS) BY A SIGNAL FOR STRAIGHT AHEAD MOVEMENT. THE CAPTAIN WILL STOP THE PLANE BY QUIETLY COMING OUT OF REVERSE AND APPLYING FORWARD THRUST. THE USE OF BRAKES IS PROHIBITED WHILE THE AIRCRAFT IS MOVING BACKWARDS. THE SIGNAL PERSON USED THE FORWARD SIGNAL, THEN CROSSED HIS WANDS FOR A NORMAL (BRAKING) STOP DURING THE EMERGENCY STOP.
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
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 100,800 lb
- Seats: 134
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
- Operator: Frontier Airlines, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Denver CO at 7:30 pm
- Destination: Rock Springs WY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 52 |
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.