Comair Flight 5191 / Delta Connection 191 Plane Crash

Comair Flight 191 (OH191/COM191) was a flight from Lexington, Kentucky to Atlanta, Georgia operated on behalf of Delta Connection by Comair. On August 27, 2006, around 6:07 a.m. local time, a Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet flying the route crashed after attempting to take off from the wrong runway at Blue Grass Airport, Lexington. The first officer was the only survivor among the 47 passengers and three crew on board. The flight was scheduled to land at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 7:18 a.m. local time.[1]

The flight was sold under the Delta brand, as Delta Flight 5191 (DL5191/DAL5191) and has also been referred to in media and NTSB reports as Comair Flight 5191.

Comair Aircraft
The aircraft involved, N431CA, was a 50-seat Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-100ER,[2] serial number 7472. Manufactured in Canada in January 2001, it was delivered to the airline on January 30, 2001.[3]

Data Recorder
Initial analysis of the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder indicates the aircraft was cleared to take off from Runway 22, a 7,003-foot (2,135 metre) strip used by most airline traffic at Lexington.[4] Instead, after the pilot confirmed "Runway 2-2," the aircraft began its takeoff roll on Runway 26, an unlit secondary runway just 3,500 ft (1,067 m) in length.[5] The aircraft, weighing over 49,000 lbs., rolled off the end of the runway as it needed a minimum of 3,586 feet (1,093 m) to take-off successfully.  Upon leaving the runway, the aircraft clipped the airport boundary fence, cleared a barbed wire fence, and became airborne after hitting a berm. The jet hit a group of trees, separating the fuselage and cockpit from the tail. The aircraft came to rest largely intact in an area less than half a mile (0.8 km) from the end of the runway. At this point it is believed that most victims did not survive the impact; those who did, except for the survivor, were killed by the post-crash fire.

Weather conditions at the time of the crash were not perfect but not difficult. Fog was present and a light rain was falling. These factors, along with the pre-dawn darkness, would have required the pilots to use their instruments for takeoff.  Instrument readings would have indicated that they were on the wrong runway. According to the NTSB, the pilot and co-pilot allegedly discussed the fact that the runway lights were out, but this did not cause them to consider that they were using a shorter, daylight-only runway. The sole air traffic controller on duty that morning was responsible for clearing flights and issuing weather forecasts, and was not responsible for assuring that flights were on their appropriate runways. The NTSB said that an additional controller would be added to the overnight weekend shift beginning immediately.

Victims
There were 50 people on board; all 47 passengers perished along with two of the three crew members.

Survivor
First Officer James M. Polehinke, who was flying the plane, was pulled from the wreckage by Lexington-Fayette Police Department Officer Bryan Jared and two airport security workers, Pete Maupin and John Sallee. As of August 29, 2006[11] he is in critical condition at the University of Kentucky's Albert B. Chandler Medical Center, where he underwent surgery for his injuries.[12] Officer Jared suffered burns on his arms while pulling him out of the wreckage.[13]

Similar accidents
On August 30, 2002 a Lear Jet over-ran Runway 4 on landing at Blue Grass Airport, killing one passenger.[14]

On October 31, 2000, the crew of Singapore Airlines Flight 006 took the wrong runway for departure and impacted construction equipment during the takeoff roll at Chiang Kai Shek International Airport, resulting in the deaths of 83 passengers and crew out of the 179 on board.

In 1993, a jet at Blue Grass Airport was cleared for takeoff on Runway 22 but mistakenly took Runway 26 instead. ATC saw the error and cancelled the aircraft's takeoff clearance before the pilot began the takeoff roll.

1. ^ ^a b "NTSB: Crashed jet used shorter runway", CNN, 2006-08-27. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
2. ^ Comair (2006-08-27). Comair provides updated information regarding Flight 5191. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-08-28.
3. ^ ^a b "Comair Confirms One Survivor in Kentucky Crash", IBS. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
4. ^ NTSB Preliminary Report DCA06MA064. National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
5. ^ AirNav runway information for KLEX. AirNav. Retrieved on 2006-08-28.
6. ^ NTSB: Pilots rolled on despite unlit runway. CNN. Retrieved on 2006-08-29.
7. ^ NTSB: Pilots rolled on despite unlit runway. CNN. Retrieved on 2006-08-29.
8. ^ "Newlywed Baseball Player Dead In Crash", CBS News. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
9. ^ "Crash victims", Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
10. ^ "Jet taxi route changed a week before crash: airport director", CBC News. Retrieved on 2006-08-28.
11. ^ "2 Japanese die in Kentucky plane crash", Mainichi Shimbun. Retrieved on 2006-08-28.
12. ^ Jeffrey McMurray, "Crash Probe: Ky. Runway Route Changed", Associated Press, 2006-08-29
13. ^ Jeffrey McMurray, "Lone Comair survivor pulled from plane", Houston Chronicle, 2006-08-27
14. ^ "Crashed plane took off from wrong runway", The Associated Press, 2006-08-27. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
15. ^ NTSB probable cause report of Lear Jet crash. National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
16. ^ NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System report #256788. NASA. Retrieved on 2006-08-29.

AIRPLANE ACCIDENT LAWYER

When a family has suffered the emotional and financial devastation of losing a loved one, it is important that they have representation from an experienced aviation attorney.

Attorney Anthony Tarricone is an experienced airplane accident attorney with 26 years experience in aviation and aircraft accidents and disasters; airplane product liability; and other complex airplane and aviation personal injury and wrongful death cases.  Anthony Tarricone has 26 years experience in Aviation and Aircraft Accidents and Disasters; Product Liability; and other complex aviation and wrongful death litigation. As head of his firm's aviation department, Mr. Tarricone has handled numerous aircraft accident cases over the past 26 years ranging from major air carrier disasters to small general aviation crashes.  He has experience with cases involving all kinds of aircraft and operations; claims against manufacturers of aircraft and components; claims against the FAA; claims involving air charters and rental aircraft; and all kinds of commercial and private general aviation accidents and aircraft.

Through his extensive work in state and national trial lawyer organizations, Mr. Tarricone has fought to preserve the rights of individuals to have meaningful legal remedies through access to the civil justice system. He has is serving his third year as a National Officer of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), which is the largest association of civil trial attorneys in the world.  Presently serving as Secretary, he previously served as Parliamentarian and Treasurer; and for many years has been a member of the Board of Governors and Executive Committee.  He served as President of the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys, and remains on the Board of Governors and Executive Committee.

Mr. Tarricone is also a member of the National Transportation Safety Board Bar Association and the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association.  He is a frequent lecturer and writer for Bar Associations and Professional Associations.

Mr. Tarricone is listed in Best Lawyers in America; he is listed in the Martindale-Hubbell Registry of Preeminent Lawyers in the areas of Aviation, Personal Injury and Civil Trial Practice; and he was selected to be included in the publication of Super Lawyers.

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