Continental Airlines crashes since 1970

The following numbered events involve the death of at least one airline passenger where the aircraft flight had a direct or indirect role, and where at least one of the dead passengers was not a stowaway, hijacker, or saboteur. The events that are not numbered are listed because they meet the criteria of a significant event as defined by AirSafe.com

Continental Airlines merged with United Airlines in 2010

  1. 1 March 1978; Continental Airlines DC10-10; Flight 603; Los Angeles, CA: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Los Angeles, CA to Honolulu, HI. The crew aborted the takeoff due to ruptured tires and were unable to keep the aircraft from running off the runway. The aircraft caught fire after coming to a stop, and the passengers and crew evacuated. All 14 crew members survived, but two of the 186 passengers were killed.
    DC10 plane crashes

  2. 15 November 1987; Continental DC9-14; Flight 1713; Denver, CO: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Denver, CO to Boise, ID and crashed shortly after takeoff in icy conditions. Ice had been allowed to accumulate on the upper wing surfaces, and this, along with over rotation at takeoff, kept the wing from developing sufficient lift after takeoff. Three of the five crew members and 25 of the 77 passengers were killed.
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    DC9 plane crashes

  3. 19 January 1988; Continental Express (Trans Colorado Airlines) Fairchild Metro III; Flight 2286; Durango, CO: The was a scheduled domestic flight from Denver, CO to Durango, CO. The crew was executing an unstabilized approach that allowed the aircraft to descend below the published descent profile. The aircraft struck trees and crashed during an approach in snowy conditions. Post-mortem toxicological examination showed that the captain had used cocaine prior to this flight. The NTSB concluded that this use had adversely affected his ability to monitor the unstabilized approach flown by the copilot. Nine of the 17 occupants, including both flight crew members, were killed.

  4. 11 September 1991; Continental Express Embraer Brasilia; Flight 2574; Eagle Lake, TX: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Laredo, TX to Houston, TX. The airplane broke up in flight while descending from cruise. The horizontal stabilizer separated from the fuselage before ground impact. Examination revealed that the 47 screw fasteners that would have attached the upper surface of the leading edge assembly for the left side of the horizontal stabilizer were missing. They had been removed the night before during scheduled maintenance. All three crew members and 11 passengers were killed.
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    Brasilia plane crashes

  5. 2 August 1997; Continental Airlines Boeing 757-200; Lima, Peru: During passenger boarding, an elderly passenger in a wheelchair was assisted up the rear portable stairs by a gate agent. The passenger was instructed by the gate agent to remain at the top of the steps while the agent loaded the wheelchair into the cargo bin. However, the passenger continued to walk into the aircraft, through the aft galley and then through the catering door. The passenger fell to the tarmac through a space between the catering truck and the airplane. The passenger died from the fall injuries. The eight crew members and 141 other passengers were not injured.
    Boeing 757 plane crashes

    20 December 2008; Continental Airlines 737-500; Flight 1404; Denver, CO: The aircraft, which was on a scheduled domestic flight from Denver, CO to Intercontinental Airport in Houston, TX, departed the runway during takeoff and skidded across a taxiway and a service road before coming to rest in a ravine several hundred yards from the runway. The aircraft sustained significant damage, including a post crash fire, separation of one engine and separated and collapsed landing gear. There were about 38 injuries among the 110 passengers and five crew members, including two passengers who were seriously injured.
    Boeing 737 plane crashes
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  6. 12 February 2009; Continental Connection (Colgan Air) Dash 8 Q-400; Flight 3407; near Buffalo, NY: The aircraft, a scheduled flight from Newark, NJ and operated by Colgan Air, crashed in a residential area about seven miles from the airport. At least one house on the ground was destroyed. All 45 passengers and four crew members were killed, along with one person on the ground.
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    Other Dash 8 crashes

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    18 June 2009; Continental Airlines 777; Flight 61; en route from Brussels to Newark: The captain of Continental Airlines Flight 61, a 777 en route from Brussels to Newark, died while the aircraft was in flight over the Atlantic. The captain was replaced by a reserve first officer and the crew declared an emergency. The aircraft landed without further incident. There were 247 passengers on board, and there were no other injuries to passengers or crew.
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    Other 777 Plane Crashes
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    Continental Airlines Wikipedia Page
    Continental Express Wikipedia Page
Continental Airlines crashes since 1970
http://airsafe.com/events/airlines/cal.htm -- Revised: 28 June 2015