10 years later: Remembering the 49 lives lost on Comair Flight 5191

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)-Ten years ago today, 49 people lost their lives on board Comair flight 5191. It was taking off from Blue Grass Airport and headed to Atlanta. But the plane barely got off the ground before it crashed. The pilot had accidentally taxied to the secondary runway which was much too short. Today the victims were honored at a special 10th anniversary ceremony at the UK Arboretum.

One by one the first responders who were called to the crash scene that terrible day ten years ago ring the bell in honor of the 49 who lost their lives on flight 51-91

There was only one survivor, the plane’s co-pilot.

Sue Byrd, mother of crash victim Brian Byrd says, “I remember hearing it and my daughter told me mom it wasn’t Brian.”

Matthew Snoody, who lost his father Tim Snoody, told the crowd gathered at the UK Arboretum, “What kind of person takes a 6am flight? The answer is lawyers, business people, entrepreneurs, horse industry people, students…The flight was a cross section of the best and brightest, not just of Lexington, not just of Kentucky, but the entire world.”

It was an accident that threatened to tear families apart, but together made a grieving community stronger. Byrd says her son Brian was set to be married to the love of his love in the Caribbean, just two days after the crash.

She says, “Our loss has been a journey that no one would want to embark on, but many people have traveled it with us.”

Many families like Sue Byrd remember coming down here and taking a look at this beautiful statue when it was unveiled 5 years ago. Now 5 years later and a decade after the crash she says coming back doesn’t get any easier.

“This has been one of the hardest ones for me. I don’t know if it was reliving everything again. But it’s been very rewarding.”

Byrd says it’s rewarding because of the strong bonds of love and friendship families have shared over countless memorial funds and scholarship events in honor of the victims in what’s been a long healing process.