Comair Suing FAA, Kentucky Airport

By Thomas Hall

Published on October 25, 2006

Comair Flight 5191 crashed into a field shortly after taking off from a runway too short to accommodate its size.

Comair alleges barriers from an airport construction project were part of a series of hazards that contributed to the crash. The company says the FAA failed to approve the construction of a new taxi route leading to the main runway at the Lexington airport. Comair also claims the FAA did not properly staff the control tower with two air traffic controllers. Only one was on duty at the time the plane went down.

Comair says the construction at the airport caused signs, lighting, and markers that would have guided the pilots of the commuter plane to the longer runway to go missing.

The airline says it will reach fair settlements with the victims' families, but filed suit so that other responsible parties pay their share.

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