| Date: | Friday 3 June 1977 |
| Time: | 12:58 |
| Type: |  Boeing 727-224 Advanced |
| Owner/operator: | Continental Air Lines |
| Registration: | N32725 |
| MSN: | 20655/934 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1973 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 12793 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 91 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial, repaired |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Tucson International Airport, AZ (TUS) -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Tucson International Airport, AZ (TUS/KTUS) |
| Phoenix-Sky Harbor International Airport, AZ (PHX/KPHX) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Continental Air Lines Flight 63 struck powerlines and two utility poles just after takeoff from runway 21 at the Tucson International Airport, Arizona. The aircraft was damaged substantially after striking the powerlines and utility poles, which were located about 130 feet to the left of the runway centerline and about 710 feet from the departure end of the runway. The aircraft was landed safely at the Tucson Airport; there were no injuries.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The captain's decision to take off under evident hazardous wind conditions which resulted in an encounter with severe wind shear and subsequent collision with obstacles in the takeoff path. The rate of climb of the aircraft in these conditions when flown according to prescribed operating procedures was not sufficient to clear the obstacles. However, if the aircraft's full aerodynamic capability had been used, collision with obstacles probably could have been avoided."
Accident investigation:
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Sources:
Revision history:
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