Catalogue of errors blamed for fatal US domestic air crash
Investigators have unveiled a series of errors that led to the worst US domestic aviation crash for nearly five years.
A Comair jet bound for Atlanta crashed just after taking off at Lexington’s Blue Grass Airport, killing all but one of the 50 passengers and crew on board.
The plane burst into flames, killing 47 passengers and two crew. The sole survivor, the co-pilot, is in a critical condition. He was at the controls at the time of the crash.
Officials said Comair Flight 591 apparently tried to take off on the wrong runway, which is not used by commercial airliners.
The unlit, 3,500-foot-long runway was too short for the jet to get safely off the ground.
Investigators also said the only air traffic controller on duty had his back turned at the time.
The Federal Aviation Administration admitted it broke rules in putting only one controller on duty.
Until now, the small Comair jet has a good safety record, officials said.
Comair is part of Atlanta-based Delta airline.
Report by David Wilkening and Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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