Too soon for blame in Kentucky jet crash
Re “Commuter Jet Crash
in Kentucky Kills 49,” Aug. 28
Aviation security consultant Barry Schiff’s condemnation of the flight crew involved in the Comair Flight 5191 accident, one day after the crash, is irresponsible for a fellow aviator. The fact is that pilots taxi across and onto wrong runways routinely. The two runways in question with the same taxi entrance could very easily be mistaken, especially because the taxiways had recently been redesigned.
Several reports have stated that the crew was well rested. Says who? Some reports say that the crew came on duty the evening before the accident. This is certainly legal, but if this crew was at the end of its duty cycle at 6 a.m., a contributing factor in this case can certainly be pilot fatigue.
THOMAS H. SMITH
Rancho Palos Verdes
Smith is a Boeing 777 captain for Continental Airlines.
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