Comair pilots thought it 'weird' runway not lighted

Comair pilots thought it 'weird' runway not lighted


WASHINGTON (AP) -- Seconds before a commuter plane crashed after going
down the wrong runway, the co-pilot noted it was "weird" that the
Lexington, Kentucky, strip had no lights, according to a transcript
released Wednesday.

The runway wasn't long enough for a passenger jet when Comair Flight
5191 took off before dawn on August 27.

Co-pilot James Polehinke said it was "weird with no lights," just
seconds before the sound of the impact was heard, according to the
National Transportation Safety Board transcript. The captain, Jeffrey
Clay, then responded, "Yeah."

The crash killed 49 of 50 people on board. Polehinke, the lone
survivor, lost a leg and suffered brain damage from the crash. He has
told family members he remembers nothing about that morning.

According to federal investigators, Clay taxied the plane onto the
wrong runway before Polehinke took over the controls for takeoff from
Lexington's Blue Grass Airport.

Polehinke said, "I'll take us to Atlanta," and Clay responds, "sure."

According to the transcript, the last understandable word came from
Clay just a second before the crash, when he said, "whoa."

It was the first time the public was given access to the transcripts of
what the Comair pilots told each other in the cockpit during the
ill-fated flight.

Numerous lawsuits have been filed accusing Comair of negligence.
However, the airline has sued Blue Grass Airport and the Federal
Aviation Administration, asking that they share blame.

A week before the crash, the taxiways at Blue Grass were altered as
part of a construction project, and the maps and charts used in the
cockpits of Comair and other airlines weren't updated. The FAA did
notify airlines of the changes through a separate announcement.

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/17/comair.ap/index.html

Story Highlights· Transcript released of pilot's last words before
Kentucky crash
· Pilot taxied to runway, co-pilot handled takeoff
· Plane was on wrong Lexington runway, too short for passenger jet
· 49 of 50 died on Delta flight bound for Atlanta

msnbc article of same subject

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16671549/


auzerais wrote:
Comair pilots thought it 'weird' runway not lighted


WASHINGTON (AP) -- Seconds before a commuter plane crashed after going
down the wrong runway, the co-pilot noted it was "weird" that the
Lexington, Kentucky, strip had no lights, according to a transcript
released Wednesday.

The runway wasn't long enough for a passenger jet when Comair Flight
5191 took off before dawn on August 27.

Co-pilot James Polehinke said it was "weird with no lights," just
seconds before the sound of the impact was heard, according to the
National Transportation Safety Board transcript. The captain, Jeffrey
Clay, then responded, "Yeah."

The crash killed 49 of 50 people on board. Polehinke, the lone
survivor, lost a leg and suffered brain damage from the crash. He has
told family members he remembers nothing about that morning.

According to federal investigators, Clay taxied the plane onto the
wrong runway before Polehinke took over the controls for takeoff from
Lexington's Blue Grass Airport.

Polehinke said, "I'll take us to Atlanta," and Clay responds, "sure."

According to the transcript, the last understandable word came from
Clay just a second before the crash, when he said, "whoa."

It was the first time the public was given access to the transcripts of
what the Comair pilots told each other in the cockpit during the
ill-fated flight.

Numerous lawsuits have been filed accusing Comair of negligence.
However, the airline has sued Blue Grass Airport and the Federal
Aviation Administration, asking that they share blame.

A week before the crash, the taxiways at Blue Grass were altered as
part of a construction project, and the maps and charts used in the
cockpits of Comair and other airlines weren't updated. The FAA did
notify airlines of the changes through a separate announcement.

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/17/comair.ap/index.html

Story Highlights· Transcript released of pilot's last words before
Kentucky crash
· Pilot taxied to runway, co-pilot handled takeoff
· Plane was on wrong Lexington runway, too short for passenger jet
· 49 of 50 died on Delta flight bound for Atlanta