Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-30 accident near Denver, Colorado, December 7, 1984
On December 7, 1984 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-30, registered N942, was involved in an accident near Denver, Colorado. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 103 others were unhurt. 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 7, 1984 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 103 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-30 · all DC-9-30s on the register
- Registration
- N942 · no longer on the register · serial 920
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE EN ROUTE FROM LAS VEGAS, NV TO MINNEAPOLIS, MN AT FL330, THE ACFT HAD BEEN IN SMOOTH AIR FOR AT LEAST 30 MIN WHEN CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE (CAT) WAS ENCOUNTERED. THE FLT CREW TURNED ON THE 'FASTEN SEAT BELT' SIGN. A FLT ATTENDANT, ATTEMPTING TO BUCKLE INTO A REAR CABIN FOLDING SEAT, WAS THROWN FROM THE SEAT & SUSTAINED A BACK INJURY. THE PLT MADE AN UNEVENTFUL NON-SCHEDULED LANDING AT DENVER, CO. THERE WAS NO FORCAST FOR CAT AT FL330, ALTHO 'CHOP' HAD BEEN REPORTED AT LOWER ALTITUDES. LATER, THE AIRCREWS OF 2 OTHER ACFT REPORTED MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY & A 30 TO 60 KT LOSS OF AIRSPEED IN THAT VICINITY. THE NATIONAL WX SERVICE ISSUED AN ADVISORY, EFFECTIVE AT 1110 TO 1300 MST, TO ADVISE PLTS OF LOCALLY SEVERE TURBULENCE WITH MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY BETWEEN FL310 & FL450 DUE TO STRONG WESTERLY WINDS ALOFT.
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: 24,770 hours in all; 4,695 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 127,000 lb
- Seats: 125
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W JT8D-9 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAS Las Vegas NV
- Destination: MSP Minneapolis MN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 70 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 16,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from DEN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 7 | ||
| Passengers | 1 | 96 |
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.