▁Fl ight ▁ 1 7 1 3 ▁was ▁operated ▁using ▁a ▁Mc D onn ell ▁Douglas ▁DC - 9 - 1 4 , ▁a ▁tw in - engine , ▁narrow - body ▁jet ▁air lin er ▁with ▁the ▁registration ▁number ▁N 6 2 6 TX . ▁The ▁aircraft ▁was ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁two ▁Pr att ▁& ▁Whit ney ▁J T 8 D - 7 B ▁engines . ▁It ▁was ▁originally ▁delivered ▁to ▁Air ▁Canada ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁and ▁sold ▁to ▁Cont inental ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 1 ▁years ▁of ▁service , ▁it ▁had ▁accum ulated ▁over ▁ 5 2 , 4 0 0 ▁flight ▁hours ▁and ▁over ▁ 6 1 , 8 0 0 ▁cycles . ▁ ▁C rew ▁ ▁The ▁captain ▁was ▁ 4 3 - year - old ▁Frank ▁B . ▁Z v one k ▁Jr ., ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁working ▁with ▁Cont inental ▁Airlines ▁since ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁He ▁had ▁ 1 2 , 1 2 5 ▁hours ▁of ▁flight ▁experience , ▁but ▁only ▁ 1 6 6 ▁hours ▁on ▁the ▁DC - 9 . ▁He ▁had ▁been ▁upgrad ed ▁to ▁captain ▁less ▁than ▁three ▁weeks ▁earlier . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁officer ▁was ▁ 2 6 - year - old ▁Lee ▁Edward ▁Br ue cher , ▁h ired ▁by ▁Cont inental ▁four ▁months ▁earlier ; ▁he ▁had ▁previously ▁flow n ▁for ▁Rio ▁Air ways , ▁and ▁passed ▁his ▁initial ▁prof ic iency ▁check ▁in ▁the ▁DC