|
|
|
|
'BRAKES, BRAKES!' By Mary Meehan HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER A pilot shouted "brakes, brakes!" just before the fatal crash of a Learjet that shot across Versailles Road after careening off the end of the runway at Blue Grass Airport, according to a preliminary report by the NTSB. Louise Babb, a longtime Lexington resident who had recently moved to Marco Island, Fla., died in the Aug. 30 accident involving a medical transport operated by Care Flight International. Four other passengers aboard the Florida-based air ambulance were injured. Only Babb's husband, Jack Babb, remains in the hospital. He was in fair condition yesterday at University of Kentucky Medical Center. The preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board said the pilot and co-pilot could not talk about the crash because of injuries they suffered in it. Still, investigators found that one of the pilots keyed his microphone shortly before the plane left the runway and shouted, "Brakes, brakes!" That, however, does not mean a brake failure caused the crash, said Michael Gobb, executive director of Blue Grass Airport. Gobb, who has read the report, said "there isn't a clear indication about what exactly happened that day." Gobb said preliminary reports generally offer a review of what happened but no insight into a cause. A final report could be a year in the making, he said. The NTSB report said that after the wreck, the plane's brakes were checked; they operated normally. The brake disc pads were also measured and found to be within accepted limits. The cockpit recorder showed no mechanical anomalies. Investigators also said the thrust reverser, a clam-shaped device that helps slow the airplane, and drag chute had not been deployed. The report said also that both the pilot and the co-pilot passed proficiency tests within three months of the crash. An unidentified pilot for Care Flight International told investigators that he had flown the crashed plane several weeks before and that it was "one of the best" in the company. The Federal Aviation Administration said the Blue Grass incident was the third accident involving the plane since 1999. In March 1999, FAA records said, the plane's right brakes failed during landing at Lincoln, Neb. Investigators later determined that the anti-skid control valve had failed. In August 2001 the aircraft aborted take off at an airport in Traverse City, Mich. The tires were blown and the nose gear was bent. No debris was found on the runway to cause tire failure. The FAA did not cite another cause for the crash.
|
|