They shifted the "start" of main runway 22 down about 500 feet last weekend as part of the repaving project. This was to allow for an FAA mandated buffer area on runway 22 next to Versailles road. And they extended the runway on the other end by several hundred feet for the same reason. Today, they showed the new ground map the pilots have been given. It did NOT show the approach way to the main runway. So it would be easy to get confused if you had never flown out before. Also there was a rumor that the scheduled pilot got sick early this morning and did not report to work. So they had to get another pilot last minute. Again, just a rumor, so don't everyone get your tin-foil hats on.
Good info. No tin foil here. Though I can get in that mode some times. It is looking more and more like a Perfect Storm / FUBAR thing happened this morning. Those poor people.
Every time I have ever taken off, I do white knuckle a bit until that hunk of metal gets all the way up. I can imagine what it was like.
Here is the map shown on the Lexington newspaper website and the Google Earth photo. Is this the map given to pilots? It shows the new safety area and a taxiway to Runway 22 that requires a 90 degree turn from the terminal taxiway. A turn to Runway 26 would require an even sharper turn.
So sorry for your loss. So far I don't know any of the victims, but with a town the size of Lexington I'd be hard pressed to lay odds that someone I once met wasn't present.