Status: Preliminary Date: 27 AUG 2006 Time: 06:07 local time Type: Canadair CL-600-2B19 (CRJ200ER) Regional Jet Operator: Comair/Delta Connection Registration: N431CA or N435CA C/n / msn: 7472 or 7473 First flight: 2001 Cycles: 12048 Engines: 2 General Electric CF34-3B1 Crew: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 Passengers: Fatalities: 47 / Occupants: 47 Total: Fatalities: 49 / Occupants: 50 Airplane damage: Written off Location: Lexington-Blue Grass Airport, KY (LEX) ( United States of America ) Phase: Takeoff Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Lexington-Blue Grass Airport, KY (LEX / KLEX), United States of America Destination airport: Atlanta-William B. Hartsfield International Airport, GA (ATL / KATL), USA Flightnumber: 5191 Narrative: Weather at Lexington (LEX) was fine on the morning of Augst 27 (METAR for 05:54 local: KLEX 270954Z 20007KT 8SM FEW090 SCT120 24/19 A3000) with a small shower approaching from the West. It was still dark as Comair flight 5191 taxied out for takeoff. Media reports suggest that the crew were cleared for a runway 22 departure, which is Lexington's main runway. However, the aircraft began its takeoff roll on runway 26 which is a smaller 3500 x 75 feet runway. This runway would probably not be long enough for a safe takeoff of a fully-laden CRJ200. The RegionalJet crashed in a hilly, heavily wooded area on a working farm just past the end of the runway. According to Bombardier, the airplane was delivered to Comair in January 2001, which would make it either N431CA or N435CA (msn 7473). NASA ASRS records show a possible similar scenario when some 13 years ago a twin engine passenger jet inadvertently taxied into position on runway 26 at LEX while being cleared for an immediate runway 22 takeoff. The tower controller noticed this and cancelled the takeoff clearance. According to the report "Possible contributing factors were poor visibility and wx (rain), confusing rwy intxn and twr's request for an immediate tkof." In the meantime work had been performed on the runways at LEX. Since October 2003 for instance a runway resurfacing project was started. The project also added 600 feet of safety area at each runway end. Sources: Lexington Herald-Leader; LEX18 -------------------------------------------- AIRCRAFT PROFILE CANADAIR REGIONALJET * Last fatal hull-loss accident: 21 NOV 2004 China Yunnan Airlines B-3072, Baotou, China - 53fatalities + 1 fatality on the ground * Total number of CRJ hull-losses: 6 losses 5 of which were fatal accidents * 2nd worst CRJ accident * Survival rate for all fatal CRJ accidents: on average 18,2% of all occupants survived fatal accidents -------------------------------------------- AIRPORT PROFILE LEXINGTON, KY * ICAO/IATA designators: KLEX / LEX * Latitude: 38° 02' 11.40" N  / 084° 36' 21.20" W * Elevation: 979 ft/ 300 m * Runway: 04/22 (2135 x 46 meters, asphalt, ILS)    Runway: 08/26 (1067 x 23 meters, no ILS) * Current KLEX NOTAMS: https://www.notams.jcs.mil/distribution/query.html?locid=&textType=report&locidl=KLEX * Airport diagram: http://naco.faa.gov/d-tpp/0608/00697AD.pdf * Satellite map and additional info: http://aviation-safety.net/database/airport/airport.php?id=LEX -------------------------------------------- OPERATOR PROFILE COMAIR Comair, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, is based in Cincinnati, Ohio. * founded: 1977 * web site: http://www.comair.com * Second airliner hull-loss accident