Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 accident near Denver, Colorado, April 26, 1993
On April 26, 1993 at about 11:22 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82, registered N14816, was substantially damaged in an accident near Denver, Colorado (Stapleton International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 90 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN INFLIGHT ENCOUNTERWITH A MICROBURST AT AN ALTITUDE INSUFFICIENT TO EFFECT RECOVERY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 26, 1993 · about 11:22 pm local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Stapleton International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 90 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 · all DC-9-82s on the register
- Registration
- N14816 · no longer on the register · serial 49370
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH, AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF INDICATED AIRSPEED AND ENCOUNTERED A HIGH SINK RATE WHICH TERMINATED IN A HARD LANDING. THE LOWER AFT BODY OF THE AIRCRAFT IN THE AREA OF THE TAIL SKID WAS CRUSHED INWARD CAUSING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. AT 47 FEET ABOVE TOUCHDOWN AND 126 KNOTS THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO ROTATE AND DESCENDED TO 3 FEET ABOVE TOUCHDOWN, WITH AN AIRSPEED OF 109 KNOTS, IN 3 SECONDS. TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED WITH A NOSE UP ATTITUDE OF 8.334 DEGREES WITH A VERTICAL ACCELERATION OF 2.246 G. TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED AT 110 KNOTS WITH FULL POWER BEING DEVELOPED. THE LLWAS DID NOT ACTIVATE. NCAR RESEARCHERS REPORTED THAT A LOCALIZED MICROBURST COULD OCCUR WITHOUT ACTIVATING THE LLWAS.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 25,628 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 26, 1993; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 150,000 lb
- Seats: 151
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-217A (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Continental Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: SLC Salt Lake City UT at 10:12 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26R, 8,599 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 70 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 13,000 ft; scat at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:36 pm from DEN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 84 |
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.