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Fatal Events Since 1970 for Continental
Airlines and Continental Express

The following events are those involving at least one passenger death where the aircraft flight had a direct or indirect role. Excluded would be events where the only passengers killed were stowaways, hijackers, or saboteurs.

1. 1 March 1978; Continental Airlines DC10; Los Angeles, USA: The crew aborted the takeoff due to a ruptured tire and the aircraft ran off the runway. Two of the 184 passengers were killed.

2. 15 November 1987; Continental DC9-14; Denver, CO: The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff in icy conditions. Three of the five crew members and 25 of the 77 passengers were killed.

3. 19 January 1988; Continental Express (Trans Colorado Airlines) Fairchild Metro III; Durango, CO: 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 safety board 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; Eagle Lake, 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.

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.

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