Comair statement

 

A passenger plane carrying 50 people has crashed shortly after taking off from an airport in Kentucky, killing all but one on board. The Comair CRJ-100 jet, bound for Atlanta, Georgia, went down in woods about a mile (1.6km) from Lexington's airport at about 0610 (1010 GMT).

One man is in a critical condition and is in surgery at the University of Kentucky Hospital.

It is the worst US air accident since November 2001.

There was no immediate word on what caused Comair Flight 5191 to crash, but aviation officials said there was no indication of terrorism.

Comair have launched an investigation and search operations are under way at the site, where a temporary morgue has been set up.

'Clean record'

The plane was carrying 47 passengers and three crew members. One of the passengers was an off-duty crew member.

US President George W Bush was "deeply saddened" by the crash, a White House spokeswoman said.

Comair had bought the aircraft in 2001 and it had a clean maintenance record, Comair President Dan Bornhorst told reporters.

He said the captain was very familiar with the aircraft, which he said had been operated by the crew on board the fatal flight for some time.

Comair is a unit of Atlanta-based Delta airline.

Family and friends have been gathering at the Atlanta airport to wait for news.

Flights resumed at Lexington's airport about four hours after the crash.

This is the worst US air accident since November 2001, when an American Airlines plane crashed in Queens, New York, shortly after takeoff from JFK airport, killing 265 people.

It took off on the wrong runway, which was 3500 feet shorter than the runway it should have taken off on.

Updated news report

 

A passenger plane carrying 50 people has crashed shortly after taking off from an airport in Kentucky, killing all but one on board.

The Comair CRJ-100 jet, bound for Atlanta, Georgia, went down in woods about a mile (1.6km) from Lexington's airport at about 0610 (1010 GMT).

 

The sole survivor, co-pilot James Polehinke, is in critical condition and undergoing surgery in hospital.

 

It is the worst US air accident since November 2001.

 

Aviation experts said there were indications that Flight 5191 may have taken off from the wrong runway, one that was too short to handle that type of plane.

 

The plane was supposed to take off from a 7,000ft (2.1km) runway, but aviation experts have told news agencies that the position of the plane on crashing suggested it might have used a 3,400ft (1 km) runway instead.

 

Airline officials said they would not be drawn into speculation about the causes, although terrorism appeared to have been ruled out, and the weather was good at the time of take-off.

 

Search operations are under way at the site, where a temporary morgue has been set up.

 

The plane was carrying 47 passengers and three crew members.

 

Captain Jeffrey Clay and flight attendant Kelly Heyer died in the crash, as did all the passengers.

 

First officer Mr Polehinke was pulled from the wreckage of the crash by a police officer who was unable to reach any other victims, said police. He is seriously hurt and is being treated at the University of Kentucky Hospital.

 

President 'saddened'

 

The plane exploded into flames on crashing, said Fayette county coroner Gary Ginn, and most of those on board the plane died from burns rather than trauma or smoke inhalation.

 

"It was a hot fire," he said.

 

Family and friends have been gathering at the Atlanta airport

 

At a news conference, Comair president Don Bornhorst expressed the "sincere sadness that all at Comair feel".

 

He said a family care centre had been set up in Lexington to help bereaved relatives.

 

He said his company had much experience in flying the plane that crashed, and that Comair would co-operate fully with the investigation into the cause.

 

The plane's "black boxes" - its flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder - have both been retrieved and sent to Washington DC for analysis.

 

That investigation is being led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

 

US President George W Bush was "deeply saddened" by the crash, a White House spokeswoman said.

 

Comair had bought the aircraft new in 2001 and it had a clean maintenance record, with more than 12,000 cycles of take-offs and landings, Mr Bornhorst told reporters.

 

Comair is a unit of Atlanta-based Delta airline.

 

Flights resumed at Lexington's Blue Grass airport about four hours after the crash.

 

This is the worst US air accident since November 2001, when an American Airlines plane crashed in Queens, New York, shortly after takeoff from JFK airport, killing 265 people.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5290760.stm?ls

"It was a hot fire"

 

Well what else would a fire be?

 

Cold?

All over the news here...I'm going to school not very far from there at all...

 

So, so tragic. My thoughts are with the families, I can't imagine what they're feeling.

"It was a hot fire"

 

Well what else would a fire be?

 

Cold?

 

This was a particularly nasty fire...which is probably the worst way to go out, or at least one of..

Its a bit of a tragedy