quote:

ORIGINAL: cuddleheart50

This airport is only two hours from where I live.  And I was on that same kind of plane 5 months ago at that same airport....I almost threw up when I read this.

quote:

ORIGINAL: NastyDaddy

It's amazing the crew lined up on an unlit 3500 ft runway for a predawn departure... especially since this shorter unlit runway crosses the lighted 7000 ft runway which is also clearly marked on the approach plates the pilots have in the cockpit. They should also have had in their possession the most up to date NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) regarding airport construction.

Despite repaving and re-routing of some taxiways, the runway lights should have been glaringly evident as they rolled down the unlit runway and crossed the lighted, correct runway. The lighted runway was the only runway long enough for the RJ100's 5000ft minimum requirement, which exceeded the short runway by 1500 ft.

I fly in my work and cannot conceive a way for this to have been overlooked by a Captain with 7 years behind RJ100/200 sticks, and a First Officer/copilot with 4 years stick time in RJ100's. The Captain was from Burlington, KY and should have been very well familiar with the Lexington airport runways.

I've both landed and taken off from unlit runways during darkness... even with a longer runway, it's enough to make your ass grip the seat very tightly! Instrument Landing System (ILS) is available for approach and landing, but is useless for takeoff.

There was a third off-duty crew member (male flight attendant) who caught a hop on the flight, sitting in the jumpseat. Despite his presence and possible distractions in the cockpit, I still see no way for the pilot or copilot to see their aircraft running down an unlit runway... crossing a lighted runway during their takeoff run... and not even notice it at all... just totally inconceivable!

With no other arrival/departure traffic at the time it's also hard to understand how the lone ground controller did not see the aircraft in a takeoff position on the unlit runway... after all, it's their home field.

quote:

ORIGINAL: NastyDaddy

The problem marie was that the aircraft did not achieve forward speed required for takeoff. Not enough airflow over the wings to provide lift for ascending. Chances are the wheels never left the runway... or the grass... as it propelled itself into the woods.

Since they did not have required ground speed and subsequent lift, the flight controls were ineffective. The only thing the pilot could do was keep the throttles wide open as he saw the grass at the end of the shorter runway coming up through the cockpit windshield... at that point it was critical mass/point of no return... other than to become airborne. 

Had the plane not had a full load of 50 passengers and luggage, along with a full load of fuel... they may have been able to get airborne before hitting the first tree, IF the landing gear had not sheared off first (which is probably what happened).

quote:

ORIGINAL: pahunkboy

i seen that. i wonder if teh lone survivor -is here for a reason, if he/she has any guilt.

i never survived a planecrash yet.