George Bush Intercontinental Airport

George Bush Intercontinental Airport, (IATA: IAH, ICAO: KIAH, FAA LID: IAH) is a Class B international airport in Houston, Texas (USA), serving the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Located 20 miles (32 km) north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 and U.S. Highway 59, the airport is Texas' second-largest air facility—after Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport—covering an area of 10,000 acres (40 km²). George Bush Intercontinental Airport has scheduled flights to domestic and international destinations. The airport is named after George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States.

George Bush Intercontinental Airport served 40,007,354 passengers in 2009 making the airport the eighth busiest for total passengers in North America. In 2006, the airport was named the fastest growing of the top ten airports in the United States by the United States Department of Transportation. Houston is home to the headquarters of Continental Airlines, and Bush Intercontinental is Continental's largest hub with an average of 800 daily departures. Following Continental's merger with United Airlines, the airport will be the largest hub for United.

1973: National Airlines (NA) Flight 27: Depressurization ejected a passenger after the fan assembly disintegrated on route to McCarran International Airport.

1975: February 1, Douglas DC-3 N15HC of Horizon Properties crashed on approach when the port wing collided with an electricity pylon. The aircraft was on a domestic non-scheduled passenger flight from Lawton Municipal Airport, Oklahoma to Huntsville Regional Airport, Texas. Due to weather conditions, the flight was diverted to Houston. Of the 16 occupants, two crew and three passengers were killed.

1990: Executive/Grumman G1 Operated by Rowan Drilling Company: Power loss in engine after take-off resulted in a failed attempt to regain altitude on route to New Orleans International Airport. The aircraft crashed on departure from Runway 15L and came to rest midfield along a parallel taxiway. There were three fatalities.

1991: Continental Express Flight 2574 (Britt Airways): Broke into pieces on route from Laredo to Houston Intercontinental. There were 14 fatalities.

On February 19, 1996, a Continental Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 operating as Continental Airlines Flight 1943 from Ronald Reagan National Airport arriving in Houston, Texas landed with its landing gear in the stowed position on Runway 27. The aircraft slid for 6,915 feet (2,108 m) on its belly before coming to a stop on the runway 140 feet (43 m) left of the runway centerline approximately at the departure end of the runway. There were no fatalities and only minor injuries. The aircraft was written off.

On December 20, 2008, a Continental Airlines Boeing 737-500 operating as Flight 1404 from Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado to Bush Airport overran Runway 34R, and caught fire during its takeoff roll. There was no snow or ice on the runway, however there were 31 knot (36 mph) crosswinds at the time of the accident. The NTSB has not discovered a reason for the crash. Of the 115 people on board, at least 38 sustained injuries: at least two of these injured critically.

On April 28, 2010, a Continental Express ERJ-145 operating as Flight 3006, made an emergency landing in Greensboro, N.C., after the word "bomb" was written on the lavatory mirror. The flight was traveling to Washington Dulles International Airport, and no one was injured.