21 DEC 2008 _______________________________________ *Passengers escape burning jet in Denver; 38 hurt *Continental 737 Goes Off Runway On Takeoff In DEN *Preliminary Information *************************************** Passengers escape burning jet in Denver; 38 hurt AP - Kim Day, aviation manager for the city of Denver, talks about Continental Airlines flight 1404 that skidded . DENVER - Firefighters said it was like something out of a movie - passengers emerging from a smoke-filled ravine where the remains of a Boeing 737 lay in flames, its landing gear and left engine shorn off. Denver Fire Department Division Chief Patrick Hynes called it "surreal." The fire burned the entire right side of the plane, and melted plastic from overhead compartments dripped onto the seats below. Thirty-eight people suffered injuries including broken bones, and two were in critical condition with fractures after the Saturday evening accident, officials said. Emily Pellegrini, a 21-year-old student at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, was on her way to Houston to see her parents. She left her cell phone and all her personal items behind in the rush to get off the plane. "There was a fire after the crash, and I just went with the flow off the plane," she told The Denver Post. "That seemed like the thing to do." The 107 passengers and five crew members made it out through slides, and firefighters put out blaze quickly, said airport spokesman Jeff Green. The cause of the accident was not immediately known. The weather in Denver was cold but not snowy when Continental Flight 1404 took off from Denver International Airport for Houston around 6:20 p.m. The plane veered off course about 2,000 feet from the end of the runway and did not appear to be airborne, Day said. Debris was left scattered on the runway, with the plane about 200 yards away. Denver International Airport manager of aviation Kim Day said travelers should expect delays Sunday, a busy travel day. National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration inspectors were on the scene. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081221/ap_on_re_us/airport_accident ************** Continental 737 Goes Off Runway On Takeoff In DEN At Least 38 Injured, But No Fatalities A Continental Airlines Boeing 737-500 went off the runway on takeoff from Denver International Airport Saturday night, injuring at least 38 of the 112 passengers and crew onboard. Flight 1404 to Houston impacted a ravine off the side of the runway at approximately 6:20 pm MST. News reports from local and national media state the aircraft ran off the runway and into a ditch due to "unknown circumstances," according to the FAA. As is to be expected at this stage, there are conflicting reports about what transpired. A reliable source tells ANN preliminary information indicates the aircraft drifted right of centerline approximately 2,000 feet into its takeoff run down Runway 34R, with the plane's right engine nacelle and wing bearing the brunt of the impact as the plane ran off the pavement. Other reports state the airliner did briefly become airborne, but impacted the ground soon thereafter. Winds at the time were reportedly blowing from the west, and had increased from 11 knots at 6 pm to 24 knots within minutes after the accident. DEN spokesman Jeff Green told KCNC-4 the plane caught fire, but airport fire crews responded quickly. Six fire trucks and approximately 20 ambulances were at the scene within minutes. Passengers exited the plane via the slides, and it appears most of the injuries occurred during evacuation. None of the injuries are reported to be life-threatening, though several passengers have been treated at area hospitals for broken bones. FMI: www.continental.com, www.flydenver.com, www.faa.gov aero-news.net ***** Status: Preliminary Date: 20 DEC 2008 Time: 18:18 Type: Boeing 737-524 Operator: Continental Air Lines Registration: N18611 ? C/n / msn: 27324/2621 First flight: 1994 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 110 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 115 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Denver International Airport, CO (DEN) (United States of America) Phase: Takeoff (TOF) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Denver International Airport, CO (DEN/KDEN), United States of America Destination airport: Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport, TX (IAH/KIAH), United States of America Flightnumber: 1404 Narrative: Went off runway 34R at taxiway WC and caught fire. Some 38 occupants were taken to hospitals. Weather about the time of the accident (01:20 Z): KDEN 210053Z 28011KT 10SM FEW040 SCT100 M06/M16 A2997 RMK AO2 PK WND 29027/0000 SLP202 T10561161= KDEN 210153Z 30018G28KT 10SM FEW040 SCT100 M05/M17 A3000 RMK AO2 PK WND 28036/0123 SLP202 T10501172= (aviation-safety.net) ***************