Is it just me, or does it seem that the NTSB is trying to do everything it can to spread blame around for the Comair flight 5191 crash in Kentucky last Sunday when it is perfectly clear that pilot error is to blame?
We're told that there was only one air traffic controller in the tower when there should have been two, and he only had two hours of sleep. The runway had just been resurfaced, the taxiway had been changed. It just seems to go on and on. The bottom line is that in the end, this was pilot error plain and simple.
Look, the tower correctly informed the pilots they were cleared for take off on runway 26 and these runways are purposely numbered to indicate bearing. If you line up for take-off on runway 26 and your compass doesn't indicate your bearing is 260ยบ, you're on the wrong runway. These pilots didn't do that and are therefore at fault. The rest is simply hysterics.
I understand that a complete investigation is necessary, but at this point it just seems to me that they are providing cover for the airline.
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Spot on. Just got my medical renewed today, and everybody waiting to see the AME was talking about this. 100% consensus that it was crew error pure and simple. Also 95% consensus that it could happen to anyone, even though it shouldn't since doing a cross check with the compass, DG, and runway heading is second or third lesson student pilot stuff. Of course, all that doesn't help if they thought they heard "22" instead of "26", but if they did hear "22", they should have caught that for sure if they had done their (required!) homework.
Don't see how it was ATC's fault - what about all the take offs from non-towered airports every day - who gets the blame then?
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