
Lexington marks 20th anniversary of Flight 5191 crash
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mayor Linda Gorton announced that the city will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Comair Flight 5191 crash with a memorial service at the Arboretum State Botanical Garden on Aug. 27 at 1 p.m., according to a release from the Mayor's Office.
The flight crashed during takeoff from Blue Grass Airport on August 27, 2006, killing 49 people. The flight crew was instructed to take off from runway 22 but instead lined up the airplane on runway 26, a shorter general aviation runway. The first officer was the only survivor.
The service will feature Mayor Gorton, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, representatives of family members, Police Chief Lawrence Weathers, Fire Chief Jason Wells, legislators, and City Council members. The ceremony will be held at the Arboretum, where a 17-foot sculpture depicting 49 ascending doves serves as a permanent memorial.
General parking is available in the Arboretum lot. The ceremony will be streamed on the city's YouTube channel within two hours of the service's conclusion.