Flight Pundit

The preliminary report details show a high (although within demonstrated abilities of the Aircraft) winds. 

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On December 20, 2008, at 1818 mountain standard time, Continental flight 1404, a Boeing 737-500 (registration N18611), equipped with CFM56-3B1 engines, departed the left side of runway 34R during takeoff from Denver International Airport (DEN). The scheduled, domestic passenger flight, operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 121, was enroute to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Houston, Texas. There were 37 injuries among the passengers and crew, and no fatalities. The airplane was substantially damaged and experienced post-crash fire. The weather observation in effect nearest the time of the accident was reported to be winds at 290 and 24 knots with gusts to 32 knots, visibility of 10 miles, a few clouds at 4000 feet and scattered clouds at 10,000 feet. The temperature was reported as -4 degrees Celsius.

Many pilots and mechanics I know are talking like there was something else that contributed to this accident.  No one wants their signature on the maintenance logs for that one.

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Ok, Greybeard at PitchPull admitted he was wrong, I admit I just didn’t know….(his post gave me insight before I saw the NASA site. But my Physiological training showed a lot about the human body and performance in low pressure atmospheres.  I am glad my Professional Pilot BS degree is good for something.

The Question was:

How would the unprotected human body react to the vacuum of outer space?

The Answer is long but worth reading. I like this to the point part.

 You do not explode and your blood does not boil because of the containing effect of your skin and circulatory system. You do not instantly freeze because, although the space environment is typically very cold, heat does not transfer away from a body quickly. Loss of consciousness occurs only after the body has depleted the supply of oxygen in the blood. If your skin is exposed to direct sunlight without any protection from its intense ultraviolet radiation, you can get a very bad sunburn.

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