Serious incident Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32 N3512T, Wednesday 9 November 1983

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Date:	Wednesday 9 November 1983
Time:	10:40 LT
Type:	Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32
Owner/operator:	Continental Airlines
Registration:	N3512T
MSN:	4811
Engine model:	P&W JT8D-15
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 53
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	None
Category:	Serious incident
Location:	Denver, CO - United States of America
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Unknown
Departure airport:	Houston Intercontinental Airport, TX (IAH/KIAH)
Destination airport:
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
APPROACHING FROM THE EAST THERE ARE 4 PARALLEL 'STRIPS' AT THE ARPT. FROM L TO R THEY ARE RWY 26L, TAXIWAY 'CHARLIE' RWY 26R & RWY 25. RWY 26L & TAXIWAY CHARLIE ARE THE SAME LENGTH. ALL 4 ARE CONCRETE COVERED. THE FLT WAS CLEARED TO LANDON RWY 26R. RWY 26L WAS BEING USED FOR INSTRUMENT APPROACHES. ABOUT 2 INCHES OF SNOW HAD FALLEN THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. SNOWREMOVAL EQUIP'T HAD CLEARED RWY 26L, RWY 26R & TAXIWAY CHARLIE BUT ALL RWYS & TAXIWAYS WERE 60-75% COVERED WITH UP TO 1/8 INCH OF MELTING SLUSH. THE CREW STATED THEY SAW WHAT APPEARED TO THEM TO BE 3 SNOW PLOWED RWYS AHEAD OF THEM: RWY 26L, 26R & 25. THEY LANDED ON THE MIDDLE STRIP. THE 3 'RWYS' THEY SAW WERE IN FACT 26L, TAXIWAY CHARLIE & 26R. THE TAXIWAY THEY HAD LANDED ON HAS A LOAD BEARING WEIGHT OF 700,000 LBS. THE RWY LIGHTS, TAXIWAY LIGHTS & ALL LIGHTING ASSOCIATED WITH THE RWYS & THE APPROACH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF RWY 26R VASI LIGHTS, HAD BEEN TURNED OFF. THE CREW AGREEDDURING FINAL THAT THEY WERE LINED UP WITH RWY 26R & COMMENTED THAT THE GLARE WAS '...REAL BAD...'

Probable Cause:

Accident investigation: