Federal investigators are beginning today (Monday) the examination of the burned fuselage of the Continental Airlines jet that veered off a runway at a Denver airport and burst into flames.

National Transportation Safety Board officials are taking advantage of the scarce daylight hours to check out the burnt fuselage of the jet, to measure skid marks and talk to the pilots of Continental’s Flight 1404. The flight data and cockpit voice recorders are in good condition and were sent to Washington, D.C. to be examined, the NTSB said Sunday.

The fuselage of the twin-engine Boeing 737-500 is now covered with a thin layer of snow in a ravine near the take off lane at the Denver International Airport.

“It’s down in a hole,” said Robert L. Sumwalt III, the member of the NTSB at the scene.

The accident occurred on Saturday and injured 38 passengers.

The Boeing 737 veered off course approximately 2,000 feet from the end of the runway. After the impact it caught fire and the 115 people inside it fled the jet through emergency exits. The entire right side of the plane was burned. The seats of the plane were covered in melted plastic.

However, of the 38 people who were taken to the hospital, only one was listed in serious condition. None of the victims suffered burns, which was a bit of a surprise. Most victims suffered injuries to the head or other body parts. Only five passengers of Flight 1404 are still in hospital.

The plane was carrying 110 passengers and 5 crew members.

The fact that the death toll of the incident was zero also surprised Bill Davis, an assistant Denver fire chief assigned to the airport. Mr. Davis said it was a miracle "that everybody survived the impact and the fire."

The plane attempted to take off at about 6:20 p.m. Saturday and was heading to Houston. Weather conditions do not seem to be the cause of the accident. The winds were of about 31 mph, the Federal Aviation Administration said. It was cold, but the runways are elevated so rain and snow will drain away.

Passengers exited the burning plane and walked out of the ravine in 24-degree cold before crowding inside the station.

At the moment of the impact, the right side of the plane burst into flames. Passengers interviewed after the crash said there was an explosion. The plane buckled toward its middle
and several passengers suffered bruises as the seats closed into each other. There were some victims with broken bones.  

Many passengers did make it to Houston on Saturday afternoon via another flight. Some of them were visibly injured, the Houston Chronicle reported. One of the passengers was in a wheelchair and was wearing a neck brace and another one was taken by stretcher straight to an elevator.

The runway at the Detroit airport will remain closed and the burnt fuselage will remain in the 40-foot-deep ravine until the investigation is completed, the NTSB said.