DENVER—A National Transportation Safety Board investigator says the fuel tank of a plane that crashed at Denver’s airport ruptured and spilled fuel onto an engine where it ignited once the jet stopped.
Investigator Bill English made the comments Monday as reporters got a close look of the Continental Airlines plane in a hangar near Denver International Airport. Fuel continues to drip from the plane’s right tank and English says it’s possible a hundred gallons are still inside.
The NTSB has not said what caused the crash.
The plane careened off a Denver runway Dec. 20 before sliding to a halt on its belly in a shallow ravine. The plane caught fire during the crash in which 38 passengers were hurt, including the pilot.
The wreckage was moved Friday.
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Information from: Rocky Mountain News,
