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Dec 24, 2008 2:15 pm US/Central
Continental CEO Meets With Injured Pilot
By Ivan Moreno, AP Writer
DENVER (AP) ―
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The wreckage of a Continental Airlines plane sits in a ravine December 22, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. The plane veered off of the runway while trying to take off from Denver International Airport on the evening of December 20.
David Zalubowski-Pool/Getty Images
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Copter4 image of the skid marks and the downed plane.
Copter4/CBS
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The plane was on fire after it crashed, and passenger Alex Zamora took this photo once he was outside.
Alex Zamora
The Continental Airlines captain who was injured when his jetliner careened off a Denver runway and burst into flames got a pre-Christmas hospital visit from his company's top boss.
The captain, whose name and condition haven't been released, was among 38 people hurt in the accident at Denver International Airport on Saturday. The captain and three others remained hospitalized Wednesday.
The National Transportation Safety Board hasn't said what went wrong. Investigators said they had not yet interviewed the captain, but they say they have good information from the plane's voice and data recorders.
Continental Chairman and CEO Larry Kellner had a "meaningful" and "worthwhile" chat with the captain in his hospital room on Tuesday, airline spokeswoman Julie King said. She declined to give the specifics of what they talked about.
Authorities say the captain was at the controls when the Houston-bound plane left the runway and sped about 2,000 feet across a taxiway, an access road and grassy slopes before sliding to a halt on its belly in a shallow ravine.
All 115 passengers and crew got out through emergency exits.
The NTSB said no problems were found with the brakes or the two main landing gear, but the nose gear was hidden under the fuselage, which was still lying in the ravine.
NTSB spokesman Terry Williams the charred plane won't be moved until after Christmas. He said said investigators were still at the scene on Wednesday.
Of the four people still hospitalized, two were in good condition at Denver Health Medical Center and two were in fair condition at the University of Colorado Hospital in suburban Aurora, including one who was upgraded from serious.
King said Kellner also met with the airliner's employees in Denver and thanked "all of those who have assisted in this accident."
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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