I travel quite a bit and have flown on Delta’s Comair flights occassionally. However, while it looks like the crash in Lexingtonwas due to the pilot chosing the wrong runway, that’s not going to be the whole of the story.

Several times while flying on Comair I’ve noticed many unsafe practices which are disasters waiting to happen. On one such flight last year from Altanta to Indianapolis, I was on a 45 seater on the runway awaiting takeoff, and while buckling in I noticed the pilot having an animated conversation with a crew member. Reading the lips the pilot appeared to be agitated with a delay and seemed to be saying, “Let’s go!”.

Just about a minute later a man from Delta appeared on the plane and asked for two volunteers to give up their seats as the plane had a “weight distribution” problem.

I didn’t have to be anywhere that day and hating to fly I took it as a sign and raised my hand. Getting off the plane I was taken to a Delta counter where I was re-booked on another connection and given compensation vouchers. However, while the gentleman was filling out the forms he seemed frustrated at the incident, not the first of that particular day he said. “Happens all the time”. In this particular case the “weight problem” was too much fuel vs. baggage or something like that - I’m not an aviation expert - but it wasn’t a good thing. The message I got was that someone was screwing with people’s lives in order to “move passengers”.

Like I said, I’m not an expert, but take a short runway, excess baggage, and other “weight issues” and you get trouble. It’s not any secret that airlines are under financial strain and delays cost money. This was the case even before 9/11 when airlines fought tooth and nair with the FAA on increasing security as they saw it being “bad for business”. One has to wonder what was on this pilot’s mind as he selected the wrong runway. Since the First Officer survived although in critical condition, perhaps we’ll know more. As I’m flying on a similar aircraft in October, I hope we do.

Incidently while people usually think of Delta as being the safest airline, they are actually one of the worst according to Aviation Law News:

“Delta‚Äôs subsidiaries Comair and Atlantic Southeast Airlines have been the most involved in the major accidents. Since 1985 Delta Airlines has had 213 fatalities, 951 FAA incidents, 269 NTSB incidents, and 430 FAA violations and/or fines in the years of 1997-2000, a higher FAA violation/fine rate that American Airlines, who has the highest number of FAA violations and fines.”

The old adage is true that by and large you’re safer on an airline than driving in a car, but airlines need to be held to account for these types of errors and mistakes.