Comair Plane Carshes At Lexington

(VS) wrote:

James Robinson wrote:

both runways start from the same taxiway and are quite close to each
other. It be would easy to confuse them at 6am, although they
should have recognized that something is wrong - 26 is much
narrower, doesn't have the usual markings and its runway lights were
out of service.

There is some question about the lights. NBC news suggested that the
center lights might actually have been on.

According to airnav (http://www.airnav.com/airport/KLEX), there are
no centerline lights on the 8/26 runway. Only MIRL (runway edge
lights) and REIL (runway end), and both are out of service.

NBC said centerline lights, but news reports aren't always accurate this
early, and I may have heard it incorrectly.

However, runway lights seem to be in question, given this quote from the
Houston Chronicle: (Goglia is a former NTSB board member.)

================================================== ========
Goglia said he understood the shorter runway was lit in some way, though
the FAA's formal notice to pilots said there were supposed to be no
lights on the runway.

"He's looking for runway lights, he sees them, he's given clearance,"
Goglia said. "There's one guy in the tower and he's moved on to other
duties."

Terry McVenes, executive air safety chairman for the Air Line Pilots
Association, International, said the effects of recent construction on
the runway will be an important factor in the investigation.
Construction lights, for example, may have confused the pilots.

The airport's main runway had also been resurfaced just a week before
the crash.

"The role of the construction and the lighting _ that's one of the
factors that's going to be important," McVenes said.

Other issues for investigators include the pilots' training, whether
they were fatigued and how well they knew the airport, Goelz said.

What were the people in the tower thinking when the aircraft turned onto
the wrong runway. Why didn't they alert the pilot that he had made the
wrong left turn. I thought the tower had final responsibility.
49 people dead as the result of human error. How horrible for family,
friends, and aviation.

(Terry) wrote:

What were the people in the tower thinking when the aircraft turned onto
the wrong runway. Why didn't they alert the pilot that he had made the
wrong left turn. I thought the tower had final responsibility.
49 people dead as the result of human error. How horrible for family,
friends, and aviation.

No. The tower simply tells the crew what runway to use. It is up to the
crew alone to use the proper runway. The tower might monitor things when
they have time, but it isn't required.

Think about it. Many smaller airports don't have any ground radar, so in
poor weather, the tower often can't tell where aircraft are located while
at the airport, beyond what the aircraft tells them over the radio.

James Robinson wrote:
(Terry) wrote:

What were the people in the tower thinking when the aircraft turned onto
the wrong runway. Why didn't they alert the pilot that he had made the
wrong left turn. I thought the tower had final responsibility.
49 people dead as the result of human error. How horrible for family,
friends, and aviation.

No. The tower simply tells the crew what runway to use. It is up to the
crew alone to use the proper runway. The tower might monitor things when
they have time, but it isn't required.

Think about it. Many smaller airports don't have any ground radar, so in
poor weather, the tower often can't tell where aircraft are located while
at the airport, beyond what the aircraft tells them over the radio.

isnt there a number written on the runway to identify it ?

"me" wrote:

James Robinson wrote:

(Terry) wrote:

What were the people in the tower thinking when the aircraft turned
onto the wrong runway. Why didn't they alert the pilot that he had
made the wrong left turn. I thought the tower had final
responsibility. 49 people dead as the result of human error. How
horrible for family, friends, and aviation.

No. The tower simply tells the crew what runway to use. It is up to
the crew alone to use the proper runway. The tower might monitor
things when they have time, but it isn't required.

Think about it. Many smaller airports don't have any ground radar,
so in poor weather, the tower often can't tell where aircraft are
located while at the airport, beyond what the aircraft tells them
over the radio.

isnt there a number written on the runway to identify it ?

Yes, there is a big number painted at the end of the runway, and
typically taxiways have signs directing aircraft to individual runways.

Signs don't do any good if the pilot has it in his mind that a particular
runway is the one he wants to use, even if it is the wrong one.

So how busy were they at that hour. Were their that many inbound/
outbound that they were distracted. I just don't understand. This
should not have happened. These trained people are professionals.

(Terry) wrote:

So how busy were they at that hour. Were their that many inbound/
outbound that they were distracted. I just don't understand. This
should not have happened. These trained people are professionals.

Early on a Sunday morning? The airport would have been like a ghost town.
Most commercial flights aren't scheduled on weekends from airports of that
size, and it would be too early for most GA activity.

Of course it shouldn't have happened. It just shows how difficult it is to
squeeze those last few accidents out of a system that relies on the
judgment of people. People can get complacent, and they get caught, in
spite of procedures.

with approx 50 passengers headed for Atlanta, apparently many
casualties

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/A...cky-Crash.html

Not to be disrespectful to those who were lost in the crash, but any
bets as to how much the lawyers will make off this accident?

I was checking sunset and sunrise times for that area and found sunrise was
almost a full hour after the flight's scheduded takeoff. It's generally
quite dark an hour before sunrise,, especially if there is cloud cover. No
excuse for a crash but perhaps another factor in this terrible incident.

rg


"James Robinson" wrote in message
. ..
(Terry) wrote:

So how busy were they at that hour. Were their that many inbound/
outbound that they were distracted. I just don't understand. This
should not have happened. These trained people are professionals.

Early on a Sunday morning? The airport would have been like a ghost town.
Most commercial flights aren't scheduled on weekends from airports of that
size, and it would be too early for most GA activity.

Of course it shouldn't have happened. It just shows how difficult it is
to
squeeze those last few accidents out of a system that relies on the
judgment of people. People can get complacent, and they get caught, in
spite of procedures.

James Robinson wrote:
"me" wrote:

James Robinson wrote:

(Terry) wrote:

What were the people in the tower thinking when the aircraft turned
onto the wrong runway. Why didn't they alert the pilot that he had
made the wrong left turn. I thought the tower had final
responsibility. 49 people dead as the result of human error. How
horrible for family, friends, and aviation.

No. The tower simply tells the crew what runway to use. It is up to
the crew alone to use the proper runway. The tower might monitor
things when they have time, but it isn't required.

Think about it. Many smaller airports don't have any ground radar,
so in poor weather, the tower often can't tell where aircraft are
located while at the airport, beyond what the aircraft tells them
over the radio.

isnt there a number written on the runway to identify it ?

Yes, there is a big number painted at the end of the runway, and
typically taxiways have signs directing aircraft to individual runways.

Signs don't do any good if the pilot has it in his mind that a particular
runway is the one he wants to use, even if it is the wrong one.

perhaps the length should be written with it !