Stapleton International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Denver, Colorado 80207
Monday, April 26, 1993 17:22 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

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.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

AN INFLIGHT ENCOUNTERWITH A MICROBURST AT AN ALTITUDE INSUFFICIENT TO EFFECT RECOVERY.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/26/1993
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1722
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City DENVER
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80207
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID DEN
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 5333
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1736 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID DEN
Elevation of weather observation facility 5333
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 13000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 9500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 70
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -5
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 50
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 2464
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 90
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 789
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 26 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1830
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:14PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N14816
NTSB Number DEN93FA047
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name MCDONNELL DOUGLAS
Aircraft Model DC-9-82
Aircraft Series Identifier DC-9-82
Aircraft Serial Number 49370
Certified Max Gross Weight 150000
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 151
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Apr 26 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 7
Airframe Hours 25628
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CITY CORP. OF NORTH AMERICA
Aircraft Owner Street Address 601 MIDLAND AVE.
Aircraft Owner City RYE
Aircraft Owner State NY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 10580
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name CONTINENTAL AIRLINES
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2929 ALLEN PKWY
Operator City HOUSTON
Operator State TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 77210
Operator Code CALA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code SLC
Departure City SALT LAKE CITY
Departure State UT
Departure Country
Departure Time 1612
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 26R
Runway Length 8599
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --