Feds Say Air Controller Slept 2 Hours

A man walks past the control tower at Blue Grass Airport Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006, in Lexington, Ky. A lone air-traffic controller was in the tower at the time of the Comair Flight 5191 crash last Sunday, a violation of Federal Aviation Administration policy. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke) (Ed Reinke - AP)

"The mandate that is issued by FAA is only as good as the staffing levels at that particular tower," Spirito said.

FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said that at the time of the accident, there were only two other towers _ in Duluth, Minn., and Fargo, N.D. _ that were not following the policy to staff with two controllers.

"We have clarified the guidance for them," Brown said.

The lone survivor of the crash, first officer James Polehinke, remained hospitalized in critical condition.

Also Wednesday, six tour buses took the victims' families to the crash site for the first time. The airport also established a memorial in a parking lot, featuring a banner reading "Remembering 5191" with pens for people to write messages.

Comair offered to pay $25,000 per passenger to each family who lost a loved one. Meanwhile, law firms lined up to represent families who may want to sue.

"We understand that no monetary relief can overcome the grief of losing a loved one," Comair spokeswoman Kate Marx said. "But we also recognize there likely will be additional financial demands at this difficult time, and we hope this form of assistance can help alleviate some of the immediate financial pressures."

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Associated Press writers Dylan T. Lovan and Bruce Schreiner in Louisville; Elizabeth Dunbar in Lexington; Leslie Miller in Washington; and Melissa Nelson in Pensacola, Fla., contributed to this report.