Comair Flight 5191, also known as Delta Flight 5191 (DL5191), was a flight from Lexington, Kentucky's Blue Grass Airport to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport operated by Comair as Delta Connection.
| Occurrence | |
|---|---|
| Date | August 27, 2006 |
| Summary | Cause under investigation |
| Site | Lexington, Kentucky |
| Aircraft type | Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) CRJ-100ER |
| Operator | Comair (as Delta Connection) |
| Registration | N431CA |
| Passengers | 47 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 49 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 1 |
This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
On August 27, 2006, around 6:19AM local time, a Bombardier Canadair CRJ-100ER flying the route crashed shortly after takeoff from Lexington. Forty-seven passengers and three crew members were on board, of which one, the co-pilot, survived. The flight was scheduled to land in Atlanta at 7:18AM local time.[1]
It is reported that both flight recorders have been recovered.
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a Canadian-made Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-100ER[2]. It was purchased new [3] and delivered to the airline in January 2001. It carried the tail number N431CA[4].[5][6]
The crash
According to WLEX-TV [7], the plane took off from the wrong runway (26). This has also been confirmed by CBS-News [8] and is being attributed to pilot error. The runway was too short for the aircraft which bounced over something on the runway, clipped some trees, and then crashed about 1/2 to 1 mile from the end of the runway, in a field, and skidded several hundred feet. The plane was reported to be mostly intact and it was said that the majority of the passengers and crew were killed in the plane. It is speculated that most of the people either died from the impact, or from the intense fire following the crash. Shortly after the crash, local residents reported the smell of fuel in the air. A fence in the field was also reported damaged in the crash.
Blue Grass Airport runways
The main runway, 04/22, is 7,000 feet long. The secondary runway (08/26) at the airport is 3,500 feet long.[9] A runway safety project is underway. The runway Safety Area enhancements will be done in a four-step process, scheduled for completion in 2007. Phase IV includes an asphalt overlay of the entire length of Runway 04/22 and Taxiway A. All pavement lighting will also be replaced. [1]
Charts [aka plates] for the Blue Grass Airport runways as well as take offs and landings are available. [2]
About runways
Airport runways are designated by the main compass headings. For example, 08/26 will be approximately 80 degrees compass heading when planes are traveling towards the 080 degree heading (approximately due east), and when using the runway in the reverse direction (approximately due west) the runway would be designated by the compass direction which is 180 degrees different, i.e. 260.
Usually an airplane uses the runway which is in the direction of the prevailing winds at the time of takeoff or landing. The wind provides additional lift on takeoff or landing.
On the morning of the crash news media coverage was wide-spread, and nation wide. Local television stations canceled regular programing, and are continuing to provide up to the minute updates as new information is made available. According to MSNBC.com the crash of Comair Flight 5191 marks the end of the "safest period in aviation history" in the United States. This was the first crash at Bluegrass Airport since 2001, and the third since the early 1980s.
According to local Lexington news station WLEX 18, the weather at the time of the crash was short lived, heavy rain that dissipated shortly before the crash, and there was a localized spike of wind speed to 15 mph from a normal of 5-10 mph. It is not believed that weather played a significant part in the incident.
Victims
Current reports indicate 49 fatalities and one male survivor in critical condition being treated at University of Kentucky's Albert B. Chandler Medical Center. Comair now confirms that there is in fact one survivor, and a hotline has been set up.
One lone survivor was pulled from the wreckage by a Lexington Police Department officer, Officer Jared (possibly Brian Jared), and a firefighter. He is confirmed to be the co-pilot [James M. Polehinke] and is listed in critical condition at the University of Kentucky's Chandler Medical Center. The survivor is undergoing surgery for his injuries at this time.
The crew has been identified as Captain Jeffrey Clay, who was hired by Comair in November 1999, first officer James M. Polehinke, who was hired in March 2002, and flight attendant Kelly Heyer, hired in July 2004. Comair president Don Bornhorst stated in a press conference that Clay was very familiar with the aircraft[3].
The manifest of passengers has not been confirmed to determine the exact number and names of passengers. WLEX-TV reported a couple from Kentucky was married the night before the crash and was on the way to their honeymoon. The Fayette County coroner, Gary Ginn, has asked that families and dentists of people believed to be on the plane provide dental records for identification purposes.
Not very many friends and family members were at Atlanta's airport because most of the victims planned to connect to other flights. A sister of a victim planned to fly with the victim on a connecting flight so the two could go on an Alaskan cruise [3].
Individuals related to the event or seeking information may call the hotlines listed on the Comair website.
Government reaction
The reaction by the government at this time has been swift. It was reported by witnesses that local police and fire response time was approximately two minutes from the time of the crash.
Kentucky governor Ernie Fletcher made a televised public statement over a cell phone connection from Germany. At this time the United States federal government does not believe the crash is terrorist-related. According to White House spokesperson Dana Perino, President Bush was deeply saddened by the crash, and said his sympathies were with the many families of the victims.
The NTSB has launched an investigation into the accident.
Related accidents
- The crash of Flight 5191 was the first major airline disaster in the United States since November 12, 2001 when American Airlines Flight 587 crashed into the residential neighborhood of Belle Harbor, Queens in New York City, killing 251 passengers, 9 crew members, and 5 people on the ground.
- It was also the first fatal crash for Delta since August 31, 1988 when Delta Air Lines Flight 1411 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 14 of the 109 people on board. On January 9, 1997, before Delta had acquired full ownership of Comair, an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia operating as Comair Flight 3272 crashed while on approach into Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, killing all 29 on board.
- A similar CRJ-200 crashed in China in 2004. See China Eastern flight 5210.
- Also, in 2004 a CRJ-200 crashed in the USA after being taken to flight levels beyond the capabilities of the aircraft. See Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701.
References
- ^ "50 feared dead in Kentucky plane crash". CNN. 2006-08-27. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "N431CA registration information". Airfleets. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
- ^ a b "Comair Confirms One Survivor in Kentucky Crash". IBS. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
- ^ "FAA Registry (N431CA)". Federal Aviation Administration.
- ^ "Many dead in Kentucky plane crash". BBC. 2006-08-27. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Canadair Regional Jet active aircraft with Comair (Delta Connection)". Airfleets. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
- ^ WLEX-18 website
- ^ CBS-News Story Confirming Wrong Runway
- ^ http://www.airnav.com/airport/KLEX
- ^ "Probable cause report of Learjet crash". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
See also
External links
- Blue Grass Airport Website
- Comair Flight 5191 Advisory #1 - press release
- Comair Website (Including hotlines to call for information)
- Photos of the aircraft involved (N431CA) - Airliners.net
- MSNBC.com webpage on the crash
- Lexington Airport