Suit Blames Crash on Air Controllers

A lawsuit, filed this week by passengers on a 2008 flight that crashed in Denver, claims air traffic controllers violated Federal Aviation Administration rules by allowing the plane to take off in high winds.

Continental Airlines Flight 1404 was bound for Houston when it veered 200 yards off the runway at Denver International Airport, losing an engine and landing gear before running into a ravine and catching fire.

Although none of the 110 passengers and five crew members were killed, the crash resulted in several serious injuries.

A report by the National Transportation Safety Board, which blamed the accident on pilot error, also found that air traffic controllers failed to provide the pilot with pertinent information regarding a wind advisory at the time of takeoff.

The suit was filed by 21 passengers in U.S. District Court in Denver.