Boeing 767 incident near Denver, Colorado, December 9, 1983
On December 9, 1983 at about 5:08 pm local time, a Boeing 767, registered N613UA, was involved in an incident near Denver, Colorado (Stapleton Int'L airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 13 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
- December 9, 1983 · about 5:08 pm local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Stapleton Int'L · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 13 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767 · all 767s on the register
- Registration
- N613UA · no longer on the register · serial 21874
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON TAKEOFF ROLL THE NO 3 WHEEL ON THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR FELL OFF THE ACFT. THE ACFT RETURNED AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE WHEEL BEARING WAS FOUND FAILEDDUE TO COSMOLINE CONTAMINATION.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme
- Maximum gross weight: 350,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Unknown UN (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: United Airlines
The flight
- Destination: SFO San Fancisco CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Sky: ovct at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Observation at 4:48 pm from DEN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.