Comair Avoids Trial By Settling With Relatives Of Victims Of 2006 Kentucky Plane Crash

August 1, 2008 11:42 p.m. EST

Lexington, KY (AHN) - Comair and relatives of some of the 49 people who were killed in a 2006 plane crash in Kentucky reached settlements and won't proceed to trial on Monday, a court official said Friday.

The lawsuits had sought damages claiming Comair was negligent because its pilots had used the wrong runway to take off. Pilots of the predawn flight used a runway that was too short.

As part of its defense, Comair had claimed that air traffic controllers were also negligent.

Comair Flight 5191 was unable to reach the proper altitude during its takeoff from Lexington's Blue Grass Airport. The jet hit trees and a fence around the airport before it crashed in a farm next to the airport.

There were no immediate details about the settlement.