UNITED AIR LINES 859

Photo: Colorado Air National Guard

Photo: Wikipedia

The 1961 crash of United Air Lines DC-8 jetliner at old Stapleton Airport led to reforms in the Denver Fire Department.

The reforms included an expanded crash station, new trucks and increased firefighter staffing.

It was July 11, 1961 - dawn of the jet age - and Denver lacked adequate crash equipment and staffing to handle an emergency involving the big planes.

"The size and fuels of our airplanes has changed," Denver Fire Chief Allie Feldman. "Our firefighting equipment has not."

At about 11:35 a.m., Flight 859, inbound to Stapleton from Omaha, spun, scraped and skidded off Runway 26 Left after a seemingly normal touchdown and exploded in flames, claiming 18 lives. One of the passengers died at a hospital.

Airport firefighters - members of Company 22 - were praised for their valiant efforts.

But only a skeleton crew was on duty.

What's more, an FAA inspector had warned that Staleton's three crash rigs - a high-pressure pumper, low-pressure pumper and water tanker - were inadequate protection.

The fire department vehicles were "at least 12 years old," Feldman said. "It was the best we had at the time." Feldman was quoted in an Associated Press story printed in the Toledo Blade of Ohio.

The four-engine DC-8 "ground looped after the crash, swerved off the runway and smashed into a truck," the AP reported in a story printed in the Daily Tribune of Greeley, Colorado. Truck driver Henry Blom died instantly.

Flames engulfed the aircraft cabin.

"When I went out the door, my hat was on fire," said passenger Eva Hershel, 64, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She was quoted in an AP story printed in the Daytona Beach Morning Journal.

Dr. Earl Guyer, clinical psychologist at the Veterans Hospital at Fort Lyons, was at the airport to meet his wife and three daughters. They died in the flames.

Ten minutes before touching down, the pilot reported a minor hydraulic problem.

The airport's firefighters were placed on "stand-by" at the east end of the runway - standard procedure for aircraft reporting potential mechanical problems.

They chased the skidding aircraft until it stopped. 

Fire Engineering magazine said:

"Immediately two high-pressure lines were stretched, followed by two 1½ inch foam lines.

"The foam turret on Low-Pressure No. 22 was not used since the aircraft was too far distant across the high-speed taxiway for it to be effective.

"The men were forced to fight the fire from the southeast side due to the direction of the wind, smoke and heat.

"A rear service door of the plane on the right side was open and an emergency chute in place had burned away.

"It has been estimated that 50 to 60 people escaped through this exit."

But Denver's other fire stations weren't immediately aware of the crash, and that led to a delay in the arrival of reinforcements.

"The fire trucks were standing by where they were supposed to," said Dick Martin, the airport manager. Martin was quoted in an AP story printed in the Lewiston Morning Tribune of Idaho.

"No other fire stations were notified because nobody, including the pilot, realized it was so serious" before the jet touched down, Martin said.

Questions were also raised about the airport's water supply.

United Airlines mechanic Earl Darling said he fought the flames with a fire extinguisher because "they didn't get any water on the burning plane for at least five minutes after it crashed." Darling was quoted in an AP story printed in the Lewiston Morning Tribune of Idaho.

However, Denver Fire Captain Edward Trunck - the acting district chief - said: "We started rolling our trucks when the airplane hit the runway. We started on that foam immediately."

Even if there had been more equipment and firefighters placed on standby, there was little that could have been done because speed and intensity of the flames.

"It didn't make any difference how many pieces of fire equipment we had there," Feldman said.

Investigators blamed the crash on "the failure of two engines on one side to generate reverse thrust, sending the aircraft out of control and rupturing a fuel tank," according to Wikipedia.

Following is the fire service response sequence as reported by Fire Engineering magazine:

Denver Fire Department

1129 - Company 22 airport firefighters placed on alert, positioned on taxiway near Runway 8 Right

• Acting Lieutenant Frank Glivar
• High pressure pumper, driven by Firefighter Joe Keelan
• Low pressure pumper, driven by Engineer Robert McDermid
• Water tanker, driven by Firefighter Roland Matson  

1136 - Pumpers 12, 18, 26 (dry chemical), Truck 9, Squad 4, East District Chief (Captain Edward Trunck, acting district chief); also Fire Chief Allie Feldman, Assistant Chief John Horan

1153 - 2-11 alarm. Pumpers 9, 10, Turret Wagon 3, Truck 10; also Deputy Chief Frazzini, Assistant Chief DeJong

1203 - Special call. Pumper 4

Mutual Aid

About 1136 - Lowry Air Force Base sent a pair of crash rigs, a rescue company, a pickup truck, an ambulance and two helicopters

About 1153 - Buckley Air Force Base sent a crash truck and rescue truck; Aurora sent three pumpers; Rocky Mountain Arsenal sent a pumper; the Army's Fitzsimmons General Hospital supplied medical personnel