Two Passengers Still Hospitalized, In 'Fair' Condition

The captain of Continental Airlines Flight 1404 has been released from the hospital, Continental spokeswoman Kelly Cripe announced on Friday, while a University of Colorado Hospital spokeswoman reported that two of the injured remain and are in fair condition.

As ANN reported, Continental Flight 1404 crashed the evening of December 20 after aborting a troubled takeoff at Denver International Airport, injuring 38 of the 115 passengers and crew aboard the Boeing 737-500.

The airliner careened off the side of runway 34 Right, crossing a field, a taxiway, and a service road, shearing off the landing gear and finally coming to rest at the bottom of a wide, shallow ravine nearly 2,000 feet off the end of the runway.

Passenger Ken Kelley described the rough off-runway excursion, saying passengers were "flipping around like rag dolls" in the cabin when the plane hit the service road. "That's when I thought the plane would disintegrate," he said, amazed that the plane did not "catch a wing, flip and burn."

Kelly, seated in Row 6 with his wife and daughter, said, "There was a huge ball of flames when we came to a stop." He praised the efforts of a flight attendant who, despite being injured herself, facilitated a rapid evacuation of the crippled plane.

"It was unbelievably orderly," he said. After quickly opening the door and deploying the evacuation chute, "the flight attendant was yelling, 'Go! Go! Go!'"

Because the right side of the plane became engulfed in a post-crash fire, the condition of much of the baggage and personal items still aboard is uncertain, the Denver Post reported.

"We have been processing baggage and personal items, and we are communicating directly with passengers regarding their baggage," Cripe said. "We will work diligently to reunite passengers with their baggage and personal belongings."

Friday, Bill English, the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, said he hopes to raise and move the plane from the crash site this week to facilitate further investigation.

NTSB spokeswoman Bridget Serchak said initially the wreckage will be moved to a designated location on the airport ramp, and eventually to an off-airport location. The plan to move the plane is tentative and details still had not been finalized, she said.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov, www.continental.com