Experts Point to Series of Errors in Crash

The main taxiway to the proper runway was closed because it had recently been repaved, officials said. That taxiway crossed a shorter runway and continues to the longer one assigned to the Comair crew. The pilots used an alternate taxiway that also crosses the shorter runway. They mistakenly turned onto the 3,500-foot runway, which is used only during daylight by smaller propeller planes and is too short for the CRJ-100.

Both pilots had thousands of hours of experience and were familiar with the airport, having flown in and out of it at least six times in the last two years. But neither had been to the airport since the taxiway system was revamped a week earlier, the NTSB said.

John Goglia, a former NTSB board member, said the closed taxiway may have confused the pilots. "It is an important piece, because I think it added to them making that mistake at a critical time," Goglia said. "They should have stopped at that point, but they didn't."

With the co-pilot at the controls for takeoff, the crew conducted what is known as a "rolling" start down the runway. Conducting a rolling takeoff is a common practice by pilots, especially those trying to adhere to their schedules. But that decision could also have compounded the growing list of errors.

"If they were held in position," Goglia said, "they probably would have noticed they were on the wrong runway."

As they began their takeoff, the pilots noted that there were no lights on the runway, the NTSB said, citing statements made by the pilots that were captured by the cockpit voice recorder. The shorter runway does not have lights, and the airport also had removed lights from the center of the long runway for the repaving work.

An FAA notice to pilots Friday said some lights on the longer runway were not working. The independent experts speculated that the co-pilot may have assumed the lights weren't working on the longer runway.

"What was he expecting?" Goglia said. "He was expecting a dark runway. And that is what he found."

The plane continued down the runway, running off onto the grass, striking a berm and hurtling through the air. It crashed into a fence and trees going nearly 160 mph and burst into flames. According to calculations of the plane's weight and speed, it would have been close to being able to take off if it had had just a few seconds more on a longer runway.