47 Passengers, Two Crew Were Fatally Injured In Departure Accident

Families of some of the passengers who were aboard Comair Flight 5191, which crashed on departure from Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, KY, on August 27th, 2006, broke ground last week on a memorial dedicated to those lost on the flight. The flight was operated by Comair under a codeshare arrangement with Delta Connection.

Comair Delta Connection Regional Jet File Photo

The relatives of the passengers were joined by Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry. The event marked the 4th anniversary of the accident in which 49 of the 50 people on board the aircraft were killed.

The NTSB determined that the aircraft was cleared to take off from Lexington's runway 22, but attempted departure from runway 26, which was not long enough for the Canadair regional jet.

The Associated Press reports that the planned memorial is a metal sculpture which will stand 17 feet tall and consist of 49 ascending doves. It is hoped that it will be completed by the 5th anniversary of the accident next year. Governor Beshear said the state will make $100,000 available for the sculpture, which is estimated to be about a third of its cost.

FMI: http://governor.ky.gov