Airplane Crash - Denver, Colorado 07/11/1961

Details of airplane crash/ shootdown - Denver, Colorado

Date	07/11/1961
Time	11:36
Location	Denver, Colorado
Operator	United Air Lines
Flight #	859
Route	Omaha - Denver
Type	McDonnell Douglas DC-8-12
Registration	N8040U
Cn/In	45307
Aboard	122
Fatalities	17
Ground	1
Summary	Following takeoff from Omaha, hydraulidifficulties were experienced. The flight was continued to Denver where the aircraft experienced asymmetrical reverse thrust while landing and crashed into a maintenance truck and burned. Asymmetrical thrust during the landing attempt due to a hydrauliemergency. Numbers 1 & 2 thrust reversers failed. The crew failed to activate the back-up high-pressure air bottle used to hold the reverse ejectors in the extended position during a hydrauliemergency. Poor evacuation procedures. A contributing factor was the failure of the first officer to monitor the thrust reverse indicator lights when applying reverse thrust and the crew's lack of training and knowledge on the aircraft's hydraulisystem. The driver of the maintenance truck was killed.