No Signs of Drugs or Alcohol Found in Comair Pilots

By Thomas Hall

Published on September 25, 2006

The first officer was the sole survivor of the crash in which 47 passengers and 2 crew members perished. The plane was a Bombardier CRJ-100 commuter jet bound for Atlanta from Blue Grass Airport on Aug. 27. Although the plane was cleared to depart from the airport’s longer runway, number 26, the pilots attempted to takeoff from a shorter runway, number 22, that wasn’t designed to accommodate large aircraft.

Runway 22 has no lights and is not approved for nighttime takeoffs. It was still dark when Flight 5191 attempted its departure at 6:07 a.m. The plane crashed into a field next to the airport during takeoff. A report from the National Transportation Safety Board states that the agency is currently investigating conditions in the airport's control tower at the time of the crash, including the air traffic controller's workload, schedule, and tower staffing level. There was only one air traffic controller in the tower on the morning of the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration has ensured a minimum of two controllers since the accident.

The NTSB says it is also considering sign changes from a recent taxiway repaving project as a possible cause of the crash.

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