Breaking News: Plane Crash near Lexington, KY

[StormScanWx]

I see this on MSNBC.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14540419/

[GalvestonDuck]

More from Lexington local news:
http://www.wlextv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5331035

I saw it first this morning on FNC and had to jump online to see from where the plane was coming or to where it was going and where it crashed. My grandmother lives about three miles from the airport, but the KY news site said it crashed on airport property. Versailles Road (US 60), which is reportedly blocked for emergency vehicles runs right between the airport property and Keeneland. Can't imagine what it's like at my old workplace right now (ER at UK hospital). I hope they get some survivors.

http://www.lfucg.com/TrafficInfo/

Sunday Traffic Information
Conditions current as of Sunday, August 27, 2006 at 8:54:56 AM

>>>UPDATE – VERSAILLES ROAD MAY OPEN – SOON.

>>>MAJOR ROAD CLOSURE DUE TO PLANE CRASH:

>A PLANE HAS CRASHED JUST OFF VERSAILLES ROAD NEAR MAN-O-WAR AND KEENELAND RACE COURSE.

>IN AND OUTBOUND VERSAILLES ROAD IS SHUTDOWN.

>DETOUR- MAN-O-WAR AND PARKERS MILL ROAD.

>TRAFFIC CONGESTION – AND ROADWAYS ARE WET. USE EXTREME CAUTION. YOUR BEST BET IS TO AVOID THIS AREA IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.

That would be a big mess on weekdays or holidays.

I'm not finding any traffic cams for the area or live news broadcasts out of Lexington. My grandmother and uncle hadn't even turned on the TV yet this morning and didn't know what I was talking about until I filled them in.

[Brent]

50 people onboard, at least one survivor. Was bound for Atlanta...

[GalvestonDuck]

One man is in critical condition and has been taken to UK Med Center. Also, they closed the airport for about 3 hours after the crash.

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/15375458.htm

[Miss Mary]

More on our local news sites, since Lexington is only 90 minutes from Cincinnati. Many Cincinnatians travel out of Lexington, Louisville, Indianapolis, Dayton and Columbus since our CVG airport has some of the highest airfares around the country. You can save hundreds of $ by driving hours and flying from that airport.

Only 1 survivor, that breaks my heart.

http://www.wcpo.com/news/2006/local/08/ ... crash.html
http://www.channelcincinnati.com/news/9 ... etail.html



Mary

[GalvestonDuck]

Thanks for posting that WCPO link, Mary. They have a link to streaming video from WTVQ out of Lexington.

And now Fox is about to have the press conference.

[Brent]

They think he took off from the WRONG runway which is much shorter and was supposedly closed(?) Weird. Don't know how that could happen.

Sounds like 1 survivor(Pilot or Co-Pilot), 49 dead. Deadliest U.S. airline crash since 11/12/01.

Must have been a horrible fire. I would have expected more survivors in a situation like this.

[GalvestonDuck]

Fox is reporting that there was no bad weather in the area, but on WLEX's webcast, they showed a close-range radar and clearly there was a small thunderstorm that moved from west to east along US-60 from Huntertown towards Versailles. Although it weakened a bit by the time it got to the airport, it was clearly there on radar at 6:08. Wind associated with that storm would be more of a concern to me and that's not something they have addressed yet.

I wonder if the survivor was the flight attendant, because during the press conference, the president of Comair was listing the names of the crew and he said the flight attendant's name was Kelly Hires and then he said, "Kelly is a male." Wonder if "is" was a slip.

[GalvestonDuck]

Cancel that - now they're reporting on WLEX what you said Brent - that it was either the pilot or the co-pilot.

[fwbbreeze]

according to media this plane was delivered to them in January 2001. If you search http://www.airfleets.net/recherche/inde ... =rechregis
this is the only aircraft of its type delivered to Comair in January 2001.

RIP

[Brent]

Airport officials just confirmed the co-pilot is the survivor.

[Lindaloo]

They think he took off from the WRONG runway which is much shorter and was supposedly closed(?) Weird. Don't know how that could happen.

Sounds like 1 survivor(Pilot or Co-Pilot), 49 dead. Deadliest U.S. airline crash since 11/12/01.

Must have been a horrible fire. I would have expected more survivors in a situation like this.

I am assuming that 9/11 does not count as far as the deadliest?

[nystate]

I am assuming that 9/11 does not count as far as the deadliest?

Possible, but mute point as 200+ were killed in an American Airlines A300 crash off of JFK about a month after 9/11. That crash was deadlier than today's, therefore today's is the deadliest since November 2001.

RIP to those lost and I'll be praying for the survivor as well.

[brunota2003]

Fox is reporting that there was no bad weather in the area, but on WLEX's webcast, they showed a close-range radar and clearly there was a small thunderstorm that moved from west to east along US-60 from Huntertown towards Versailles. Although it weakened a bit by the time it got to the airport, it was clearly there on radar at 6:08. Wind associated with that storm would be more of a concern to me and that's not something they have addressed yet.

I wonder if the survivor was the flight attendant, because during the press conference, the president of Comair was listing the names of the crew and he said the flight attendant's name was Kelly Hires and then he said, "Kelly is a male." Wonder if "is" was a slip.

you said it was weakening? then I presume that a microburst could of occured and pushed the plane into the ground...my prayers go out to their families and the co-pilot...

[therock1811]

We got the word at my church in Florence, Kentucky (about 80 minutes outside Lexington) around 10:00am. Our church is full of people who are in the aviation field since CVG is literally 5 minutes from the center of town. It's hit hard here, no question about it. And we now have reports that the flight attendant was from Florence, and the captain from Burlington, Kentucky which is 5 miles west.

[GalvestonDuck]

according to media this plane was delivered to them in January 2001. If you search http://www.airfleets.net/recherche/inde ... =rechregis
this is the only aircraft of its type delivered to Comair in January 2001.

RIP

I didn't realize at first that the picture you posted is the actual plane that crashed, not just the type of craft. They just gave the tail number and registration number on Fox News.




This brings to mind the sadness in Lexington after the UK copter crashed in '99.

[Brent]

They think he took off from the WRONG runway which is much shorter and was supposedly closed(?) Weird. Don't know how that could happen.

Sounds like 1 survivor(Pilot or Co-Pilot), 49 dead. Deadliest U.S. airline crash since 11/12/01.

Must have been a horrible fire. I would have expected more survivors in a situation like this.

I am assuming that 9/11 does not count as far as the deadliest?

No, 11/12/01 was AFTER 9/11(by 2 months). AA 587 crashed just after takeoff from JFK Airport killing over 260 people, including some on the ground.

It sounds like most of the people onboard died from the fire, not the impact. They are asking for dental records to get positive ID's.

[GalvestonDuck]

Among the victims, a former UK baseball player and his newlywed-wife. They were just married yesterday.

http://www.wlextv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5331556

[Miss Mary]

Shawn - that is so profoundly sad. This couple were just married, before 300 family and friends. One day so hopeful, the next so tragic.

Our local site has a more indepth section on the crash.

http://www.cincynow.com/

[GalvestonDuck]

Now they're also reporting that most of the victims were from Lexington.

http://www.wlextv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5331750

As much as I joke and moan about disliking Kentucky and being glad I moved away, I can't deny I have a history there. I lived there from age 5 through age 30 with the last 18 years of that in Lexington, going to junior high, high school, and college there and working there -- ten years at UK Med Center. I'm hesitant to read the victims list when it is released.