NTSB · Safety Recommendation
Safety Recommendation A-10-112
Recommendation
TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: Once realistic, gusty crosswind profiles as asked for in Safety Recommendation A-10-110 are developed, develop a standard methodology, including pilot-in-the-loop testing, for transport-category airplane manufacturers to establish empirically based, type-specific maximum-gusting-crosswind limitations for transport-category airplanes that account for wind gusts.
Safety Issue and Context
On December 20, 2008, about 1818 mountain standard time, Continental Airlines flight 1404, a Boeing 737-500, N18611, departed the left side of runway 34R during takeoff from Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, Colorado. A postcrash fire ensued. The captain and 5 of the 110 passengers were seriously injured; the first officer, 2 cabin crewmembers, and 38 passengers received minor injuries; and 1 cabin crewmember and 67 passengers (3 of whom were lap-held children) were uninjured. The airplane was substantially damaged.
The scheduled, domestic passenger flight, operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121, was departing DEN and was destined for George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, Texas. At the time of the accident, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, with strong and gusty winds out of the west. The flight operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan.
Response History
February 17, 2026 · Recipient Response · FAA
-From Bryan Bedford, Administrator: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published change 1 to Advisory Circular (AC) 25-7D, Flight Test Guide for Certification of Transport Category Airplanes, on September 16, 2025. Change 1 to the AC improves the clarity and consistency of compliance demonstrations by stipulating that aircraft manufacturers should assess how airplane handling characteristics in crosswind conditions are affected by gusts when determining and specifying the maximum demonstrated crosswind.
The AC is available at the following website: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/DRSDOCID117991715620250919115039.0001
I believe the FAA has effectively addressed these safety recommendations and consider our actions complete.
April 22, 2024 · NTSB Correspondence · FAA
We continue to believe that finalizing the guidance that was proposed in draft Advisory Circular (AC) 25-7D Change 1, “Flight Test Guide for Certification of Transport Category Airplanes,” which was published on July 7, 2023, would constitute an acceptable alternate solution to these recommendations because it would result in airplane manufacturers publishing more accurate crosswind values that account for gusts. However, because these recommendations are almost 14 years old, we urge you to not delay publishing this guidance, which you reported will be published by the end of this year.
Pending our review of the final AC, Safety Recommendations A 10-112 and -113 remain classified OPEN-- ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATE RESPONSE.
September 15, 2023 · Recipient Response · FAA
-From Kathryn B. Thomson, Deputy Administrator: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released Draft Advisory Circular (AC) 25-7D, Change 1, Flight Test Guide for Certification of Transport Category Airplanes, for public comment on July 7, 2023, with the comment period closing on August 7, 2023. We anticipate publishing the final AC by December 29, 2024. The draft AC is available at the following website: