Firefighters responding to a blazing plane at Denver International Airport found a calm scene, with passengers standing in the darkness in snow as flames shooting out of the jetliner lit up the nighttime sky.
The airport last week released the video showing firefighters’ response to the accident involving Continental Airlines Flight 1404 on Dec. 20, 2008, after an open-records request by The Associated Press.
The plane rolled off the runway during takeoff and down a ravine, where it caught fire. All 110 passengers and five crew members managed to escape. Six people were seriously injured, and dozens others were treated for minor injuries.
The twin-engine Boeing 737-500 jet had shed its left engine and both main landing gears, and the impact ruptured the fuel tanks. The entire right side of the jet was burned, and melted plastic from overhead compartments dripped onto the seats.
The grainy video shot from cameras mounted on firetrucks responding to the scene was released about two months after the National Transportation Safety Board wrapped up its investigation.
The NTSB found that the plane was hit by a 52-mph gust of wind, causing it to “weathervane” — turn until its nose was pointed into the wind.
The plane came to rest near a fire station, where passengers were directed to go.
The Associated Press
