Accident Sequence
The airplane touched down with its landing gear retracted and slid 6,850 feet along the runway. It came to rest in grass approximately 140 feet to the left of the runway centerline. The cabin began to fill with smoke, and the airplane was evacuated.
Investigation Findings
The investigation revealed that the captain had omitted the 'Hydraulics' item on the in-range checklist, and the first officer failed to detect this omission. Consequently, hydraulic pressure was not available to lower the landing gear and deploy the flaps. Both pilots recognized that the flaps had not extended after they were selected to 15 degrees.
The pilots then did not perform the landing checklist and failed to detect the numerous cues indicating the landing gear status. This failure was attributed to their focus on resolving the flap extension problem and the high workload resulting from the rapid sequence of events in the final minute of flight. The first officer attempted to communicate concern about the excessive speed of the approach to the captain.
Additionally, the investigation identified deficiencies in Continental Airlines' oversight of its pilots and the principal operations inspector's oversight of the airline. Continental Airlines was aware of inconsistencies in flightcrew adherence to standard operating procedures, but corrective actions taken before the accident had not resolved the problem.