New report out on Continental crash

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- There are new details on the crash of a Continental airlines plane in Denver last month from a report released late Wednesday afternoon by the National Transportation Safety Board.

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The report gives us new information from the pilots and crew members about what happened before, during and after the crash last month.

You may remember the Continental plane bound for Houston from Denver veered off the runway during takeoff, crashed and caught fire. Thirty-eight people were hurt.

The report says, "Both pilots remarked that all appeared normal until the aircraft began to deviate from the runway centerline. The captain noted that the airplane suddenly diverged to the left and attempts to correct the deviation with the rudder were unsuccessful."

Wind gusts of up to 37 miles per hour were reported the day of the accident and NTSB experts have already said those gusts may have been strong enough to force the plane off the runway.

The report also says two Continental pilots who had flown the plane into Denver on previous flights were passengers on the accident flight. Neither of the pilots was aware of anything strange and reported that all the systems had operated normally.

Information from the flight data recorder has not shown any evidence of problems with either engine before the crash.

No problems were found during an inspection of the rudder system, landing gear, brakes, hydraulic system, tires, and flight controls. A final report on the accident could take up to a year to complete.

To read the report issue Wednesday, click here.

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local, laura whitley

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