Plane Crashes in Lexington

WTVQ 36 Lexington ^ | August 27, 2006 | Jon Sasser

[BigBlueJon]

Possible plane crash in Lexington, KY. My brother works security for Lexington UK Hospital and was just called in. No news locally or on major news outlets yet. I didn't want to post anything for fear of being wrong, but he's still waiting for an official call while on stand-by.

Update from WTVQ 36 Lexington:

A plane has crashed near the Blue Grass Airport this morning. No word on details at this time. We are told it was a commercial aircraft. Versailles Road is blocked as emergency vehicles circle around the site. We have live coverage beginning at 7:20am. Stay with Action News 36 for more details.

[bootless]

Why don't they extend the runway or something? Geez.

Planning Commissions, City Councils and nosie nazis.

Gotta run now, but I have a question about the RJs - when you line up for takeoff, don't they have a wet compass (or similar) to double-check the runway alignment with?

Prayers up for all.

[don-o]

My gut says you nailed it. Not enough roll speed to get that bird in the air. Screwed the pooch, indeed.

They already know this.

[OBXWanderer]

see #369

OK, departure end of 26. (Still no photos or helicopters overhead). Highly unlikely then a departure from 22, and a quick vere to the west, since I am hearing reports the fuselage is still, somewhat, intact. Plus clipped trees at the end of 26. Hate to say it this early, with recover still going on, but it is time for some toxicology.

[don-o]

So now, as well as watching out for bad men in the cabin, we gotta take a look out the window to make sure the pilot is on his mark?

[brothers4thID]

Even with all the evidence we have available now, I cannot wrap my mind around a pilot choosing a short, unlit, cracked runway and the nice broad surface, lit, runway in front of him. It defies comprehension. I pray to God there is another reason for this.

[Pukin Dog]

Here is a pdf chart of the airfield>

Runway 8/26

Dimensions: 

3500 x 75 ft. / 1067 x 23 m

Surface: 

asphalt/concrete, in poor condition
CONC IS SEVERELY CRACKED.

Weight bearing capacity: 

Single wheel:

12500 lbs

Runway edge lights: 

medium intensity
MIRL RY 08/26 OTS INDEFLY.

RUNWAY 8

RUNWAY 26

Latitude: 

38-02.339143N

38-02.433593N

Longitude: 

084-36.574985W

084-35.855642W

Elevation: 

969.5 ft.

972.6 ft.

Gradient: 

0.3

0.3

Traffic pattern: 

left

left

Runway heading: 

085 magnetic, 081 true

265 magnetic, 261 true

Markings: 

basic, in fair condition

basic, in fair condition

Runway end identifier lights: 

yes
REIL OTS INDEFLY.

Touchdown point: 

yes, no lights

yes, no lights

Obstructions: 

25 ft. tree, 400 ft. from runway, 150 ft. right of centerline, 8:1 slope to clear

17 ft. pole, 552 ft. from runway, 39 ft. left of centerline, 20:1 slope to clear

Note the condition of the runway from the AIRNAV site info. Severly cracked runway, too short to begin with, they never had a chance.

[CodeToad]

"I am a 20 year ATP and I KNOW what I am talking about."


The pilot who crashed the plane is also an ATP...but he was dead wrong. Any idiot can see the plane left the runway and crashed a few hundred yards away. The vector of the crash is FROM the runway, not TO the runway.

[Truth29]

MSNBC confirming that the plane took off on the short runway.

[CodeToad]

"doesn't he/she have a picture of the airport they are taking off from and the length of the runways."


Yes, they do, if they bothered to check it. Some of the standard checklist items are aircraft weight and runway length, so how they still chose to roll down the short runway is a mystery.

[AGreatPer]

On a recent flight out of Baltimore we were next up for takeoff. The pilot came on and appoligized because he was going to the end of the line and we will have about a 1/2 delay. He gave a reason that he didn't like some weather that he was seeing. Other planes took off and I was wondering what was with this pilot?

[spanalot]

How loud was the "OH SHI_T" when they crossed the right runway and why didn't they abort?

[jcs1744]

Yes. In fact, it is in between the front two windshields up high. Pilots rarely double check this as they line up on the runway, simply because there are sometimes two or more runways on the same heading.

Pic of Comair CRJ-100ER cockpit.
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0361238/L/

[Pukin Dog]

Let me put it this way; I don't fly on commuter aircraft. If the distance under 500 miles, I drive. Nothing wrong with the airplanes, but I don't care to find out about the driver only when its too late.

I'm going to piss off a lot of GA guys, but I don't think anyone should be flying passengers without military experience, I don't care how good our civilian flight schools are.

[Sting 11]

Even with all the evidence we have available now, I cannot wrap my mind around a pilot choosing a short, unlit, cracked runway and the nice broad surface, lit, runway in front of him. It defies comprehension.

It does defy comprehension. One of the things I find interesting here is the relationship between the end of runway 22, the end of runway 26, and the control tower. Given these locations, I can see how such a mistake could happen at this particular airport compared to most other airports. See the .pdf of the airport layout here.

However, it would require a simultaneous screw-up by the pilot, first officer, and tower controller. That's what is so surprising.

[tcrlaf]

People forget that even god-like pilots are like the rest of us, and they make MISTAKES...

They could have been innattentive, not paying attention while yapping about what happened Saturday night, etc,etc...

Not to minimize this at all, but pilots are humans, too..

[Pukin Dog]

How loud was the "OH SHI_T" when they crossed the right runway and why didn't they abort?

Reviews of Flight Data Recorders have proved that at this point, there is usually a statement uttered towards one's mother.

[jcs1744]

It was still a piss poor idea to rotate even though there evidently wasn't even close to enough speed to make a safe takeoff. He probably should've kept the plane on the ground and put it through the field. It wouldn't have been pretty, but I don't think 49 people would've been killed.

[tcrlaf]

When the military gets back to producing anywhere near the number of pilots required for today's civil aviation industry, let us know...

The military is going PILOTLESS whenever possible these days. The future pilot stream will come from University Flight Programs like PURDUE, ND State and others...

[don-o]

Good get. So he needed a left or right turn from the terminal. He just rolls straight and rolls.

What is this I am hearing about digital cockpits? Are they saying the plane takes itself off? (From the WXIA (Atlanta TV) stream.

[BigBlueJon]

Governor Fletcher on the phone with Fox News right now. He claims he knows some of the people that were on this flight. He is in Germany at this time.