Plane Crash in Lexington KY

[Malsua]

CRJ-100, 50 people killed. Crashed on Takeoff. En route to Atlanta.

details a bit sketchy yet.

-Mal

[Malsua]

Now, the paki woman was arrested on aug 17 at the Huntington airport, 115 miles to the east. It turns out her stuff was just water and face cream but the dog alerted to it.

I don't know if this is just a tragic accident or an intentional one. Just putting the thought out there.

-Mal

[Malsua]

http://www.wlextv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5331035

The FAA is reporting that an Atlanta-bound Comair jet with up to 50 people on board has crashed on takeoff at Blue Grass Airport, and that there are "significant casualties." MSNBC is reporting that all 50 aboard have died. Details are still very sketchy, but it appears that the plane, Comair flight 5191 bound for Atlanta, crashed at 6:07 a.m. into a field near the airport. An eyewitness told LEX 18 that he heard a large boom, then saw a bright flash of light. Stay tuned to LEX 18 for the latest information on this developing situation.


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BOOM before? How much noise do Manpad, surface to air missles make? Is it possible that he heard a bomb and it took a few moments to ignite the fuel?

hmm

[Malsua]

I suppose he heard the Jet hit the ground and the fuel flashed over shortly thereafter.

[Malsua]

Uhh, getting report that pilot used the wrong runway. Airport only has two runways, a short one and a long one. Short one apparently not long enough.

One or two survivors. Pilot or copilot is one. Not expected to survive.

[Sean Osborne]

An eyewitness told LEX 18 that he heard a large boom, then saw a bright flash of light.

Note the detail in the eyewitness statement ... heard a boom then a bright flash of light.

By the laws of physics this reported sequence of events should have occured in the reverse order. Light travels faster than sound, eyewitness should have seen a flash then heard the boom.

BOOM before FLASH :

1.) indicates seconds of separation between the events as described
2.) suggests onboard explosion or external event (MANPAD).

FAA says most of aircraft intact but significant fire.

Now see there's a survivor and "significant casualties".

[Malsua]

Subject to change, but based on the images from MSLSD, the image below appears to be accurate.

[Sean Osborne]

Watching the statement of the Comair spokesman live on FoxNEWS.

I am struck by the sheer number of times this spokesman has uttered the word "accident". One use of this word is very closely tailgated by the next utterance of the word, on and on and on.

He has been well coached.

[Sean Osborne]

Now I understand the "accidental" nature of this crash.

Comair Flight 5191 did in fact execute its takeoff from the incorrect runway.


UPDATE: 11:35 AM 27 August 2006
Sean Osborne
Associate Director, Senior Analyst, Military Affairs
sosborne@homelandsecurityus.com

Based upon my carefull review of Bomardier CRJ-100 regional jet specifications, and having seen a live streaming video feed from a Lexington, Kentucky television station, as well as detailed satellite composite imagery of the Bluegrass Airport, it seems certain and is my assessment that Comair Flight 5191 executed its takeoff from the incorrect runway.

Facts I cite in making this assessment are as follows:

The ground impact markings and final site of the aircraft on the ground is consistent with an east to west departure from Runway 260/080.

Comair Flight 5191 impacted the ground a very short distance and in a stright line from the end of Runway 260/080, which on its western end is designated as runway 8 and is the nearest point to the impact site.

The length of this runway, which appears to be undergoing improvements of its surface, is approximately 3500 feet.

The primary runway at Bluegrass Airport, Runway 220/040, is 7,000 feet in length.

The CRJ-100/200 family of regional jet aircraft require a minimum takeoff distance of approximately 5,000 feet.

[Malsua]

Just watched the briefing. Apparently it was a CRJ-200. There is a line of snapped trees and fences leading from 8/26 and plane is tail to the airport.

[Malsua]

You have a typo there Sean. The short runway is 8/26. You've got 8/22. The long runway is 4/22.

[Malsua]

[Sean Osborne]

Fixed the typo.

It looks as if miscommunication or misreading of the airport gound guidance for the pilot may have also been a contributing factor.

The pilot appears to have turned onto the 260 end of the general aviation runway instead of continuing on another hundred yards of so to the 220 end of the primary commerical airline traffic runway.

CVR and CDR records will probably confirm this as will the sole survivor, the First Officer. My question is - where the hell was ground control? Why did the tower not issue a takeoff abort to the pilot?

There's a lot more than miscommunication and confusion involved here. The entire system of commerical flight seems to have crashed and burned in this instance.

[Sean Osborne]

This apparently was Comair Bombardier CRJ-200ER, Tail Number N431CA



Image from http://www.airliners.net/search/phot...nct_entry=true

http://www.crj.bombardier.com/CRJ/en...d=en&crjId=200 CRJ200 ER FAR take-off field length (SL, ISA) at MTOW of 51,000 lbs. 5,800 ft

[Malsua]

I read that the tower had ONE guy in there, SOP for that time of day.

Probably watched the plane taxi in the right direction and was paying more attention to Comms.

[Malsua]

Here is the plane.

[Sean Osborne]

I read that the tower had ONE guy in there, SOP for that time of day.

Probably watched the plane taxi in the right direction and was paying more attention to Comms.

Probably. However, I would not think it SOP for the tower not to have "eyes on" an aircraft taxiing to take off whose pilot was not familiar with this specific airport.

That's what I am hearing.. this pilot was not familiar with Lexington Bluegrass International Airport.