Runway lights designer, sued after an airline disaster in Kentucky
Released on = August 29, 2007, 3:21 pm
Press Release Author = rainier policarpio
Industry = Law
Press Release Summary = James Polehinke, who fortunately survived a terrible Comair crash, is all in to file a lawsuit against the company that designed the Kentucky Blue Grass Airport's runway and taxiway lights. The airplane mishap that resulted to the killing of 49 other passenger including the other pilot occurred after its take off from the erroneous runway, early dawn of August 27 last year. This incident was said to occur due to the insufficient lighting along the airport's general aviation strip.
Press Release Body = James Polehinke, who fortunately survived a terrible Comair crash, is all in to file a lawsuit against the company that designed the Kentucky Blue Grass Airport's runway and taxiway lights. The airplane mishap that resulted to the killing of 49 other passenger including the other pilot occurred after its take off from the erroneous runway, early dawn of August 27 last year. This incident was said to occur due to the insufficient lighting along the airport's general aviation strip.
Los Angeles, California - Polehinke who was the sole survivor of the accident was also the co-pilot of Comair Flight 5191. He has decided to file the charges against AVCON Inc. last Friday, before the first year anniversary of the said tragedy.
In his lawsuit filed in Fayette Circuit Court, Polehinke accused AVCON Inc. of Orlando, Florida of being legally accountable for putting up lights improperly and insufficiently especially on the airport runway. He further said that the design was so unreliable and unsystematic that made it very hazardous for many commercial pilots, including him and his partner, who actually depend on them for safe flight or landing.
The lighting system did not "comply with the applicable laws, rules, regulations procedures and orders," Polehinke added.
However, the Blue Grass Airport officials and other government agencies assigned to investigate on the matter have affirmed that the lighting on the edge of the main runway was properly working when the accident had happened. Other aircrafts also managed to take off safely before the Comair got involved in the crash.
In addition, the National Transportation Safety Board was able to establish last month that the real cause of the fatal crash was due to the Comair pilots' failure in determining the signs that they were not supposed to take off on that incorrect runway.
Meanwhile, Polehinke's charges stated that he have suffered from various personal injuries like "scars and disfigurement, loss of use of parts of his body and an activation or aggravation of a pre-existing disease or physical condition" including traumatic brain injury, broken bones and neurological defects.
2025
