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.

[george76]

This aerial view of Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Ky. Sunday, Aug. 27, 2006, shows the airport's 3,500-foot-long general aviation runway crossing the longer main runway.

A Comair commuter jet crashed during take off early Sunday and burst into flames, killing 49 people and leaving the lone survivor in critical condition.

Investigators were trying to determine if the plane was on the wrong runway and ran out of pavement.

The crash site is in the woods at the end of the short runway.

(AP Photo/Al Behrman)

[CedarDave]

I suspect that tonight or tomorrow night at the latest, they will duplicate conditions and lighting, and will take a plane out the taxiway to see exactly what signs are lit and what runway markings look like in darkness.

[USNBandit]

A couple months ago I was cleared to land on a closed runway. I asked the tower controller if he really meant the runway with the big flashing X on the threshold. He cleared me for the other runway.

In this case the it appears the tower tapes have already been released because there are quotes earlier in the thread of the tower clearing the aircraft of the correct runway.

[Moose4]

See where the airplane is in the bottom right-hand corner of your picture? That's the hold-short point for runway 26. To get to the correct runway (22), Comair 191 would've crossed the end of 26 and hung about a 30-degree dogleg left on the taxiway that curves around to the end of runway 22. They took off going away from the camera in that shot, never got off the ground (or at least not very far) and I think ended up in or near that far row of trees.

}:-)4

[spanalot]

Poor SOBS - never had a chance.

[Sting 11]

In this case the it appears the tower tapes have already been released because there are quotes earlier in the thread of the tower clearing the aircraft of the correct runway.

I assume you're referencing my post (#501). That was just a sample of what the correct pilot-controller phraseology would have been for this scenario, not the actual transcript. Sorry for any confusion I caused.

[george76]

I am not a pilot, but that seems like alot of movement.

Was the design less confusing before the recent paving, lengthening of the longer runway ( 22 ) and other improvements ?

[RDTF]

a thread here about it

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1691070/posts?page=6#6

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

IIRC, wasn't it the case with some of the majors that military pilots were given a formula to compute total flight time? I am almost certain that dh's hours increased because certain airlines weighed military hours higher than civilian flight time?

[RDTF]

That's what I thought. But I do have to say, I thought that the tower was there to ensure the safety of the flights and the responsibility of that was on them, and not the pilots.

[usafsk]

ATC tapes. CVR and CDR are not read locally. They were at NTSB HQ in DC sometime this PM, but ATC tapes can be reviewed on site. Controllers, supes can review tapes at towers, other facilities pretty much right away.

[spanalot]

How much would it have cost to chainsaw those trees down.

Seems like the srong place for a useless treeline.

[cheme]

This is an actual map of the airport issued by FAA.

http://www.naco.faa.gov/d-tpp/0608/00697AD.PDF

[CindyDawg]

I guess they could make the owner cut them down but I think the trees were on private property.

[cleveland gop]

So was it a CRJ that crashed or was it an actual larger jet(MD-88,90). I was news blind most of today, so I only caught bits and pieces I thought I heard there were 88 on board, but I could be wrong.
What a real shame!!!!!!!

[El Gato]

They might have more total time, but the majors really care about PIC time

Well I guess I was thinking that even with 3 pilots, they'd still get lots of pilot in command time, because each mission would be longer and they'd trade off. So they'd each get a smaller fraction, but still lots of total time as PIC. I would assume they log fractional flight as PIC?

[StAnDeliver]

"Looking at the first good pictures of the crash with runway 26 behind, it appears that the aircraft never even go airborne. It went through the perimeter fence, and almost hit the big tree by the farm house. Then when it hit the ravine, it burst into flames and went about 50' further."

That photo is from an odd vantage point height-wise. It's not a ravine, it's the backside of a hill that runs along Versailles Road (not visible to the right). Higher in elevation than the airport runway. A scrub area meant as a buffer for the small farm that owns the land.

If you look at all the photos together (I'd link a bunch but they are from a FoRbidden Gannett rag) it appears the pilot may have attempted emergency rotation at the end of the runway (bystanders have reported the engines "popped"), tore through the perimeter fence, clipped at least two trees (about 150 ft. apart) with the wings, never gaining any kind of substantial altitude.

Then stalled, nose dropped, the plane touched down nearly horizontal, finally gutting out a long trench while rotating slightly clockwise on the ground, and unfortunately sliding into a treeline tail-first.

[GladesGuru]

"I thought that the tower was there to ensure the safety of the flights and the responsibility of that was on them, and not the pilots."

WRONG!

The phrase "pilot in command" means just what is says. Tower, or in-flight vectors for the pilot flying IFR are only advisory innnature.

The pilot always has the option of refusing ATC and either asking for alternatives (the usual course of action) or stating his intentions. FAA may be vilely vexed, and if his case for so doing isn't a good one, consequences occur.

But the pilot is not only always the first on the scene of the accident, he is always where the buck stops.

[Bluegrass Federalist]

Man, I have only seen about 10 names, and knew 2 of them, plus 2 others they haven't released yet, one was very close.

Where have you seen others?

[El Gato]

There may be a clue on the voice "black box"...if anything was even discussed regarding which runway to take off from...otherwise it will be speculation..

There are also ATC tapes. However the NTSB spokeswoman said that the only runway mentioned on the tapes was 22.