LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB/WKYT) — Families, friends, first responders and local officials gathered Thursday at the arboretum in Lexington to mark 20 years since the
Comair Flight 5191 crashed around 6 a.m. shortly after takeoff Aug. 27, 2006. Of the 50 people on board, 49 died, including 47 passengers and two crew members.
Along with local officials and first responders, many of the victims' families attended Thursday's memorial to share memories of their loved ones who died.
One of those attendees was Sue Byrd, mother of Brian Byrd, who died in the crash along with his fiancée, Judy.
"I imagine Brian and Judy sitting together holding hands," Byrd said. "I don’t know they were. But I know they were in love.
Many of those on the plane were traveling for all kinds of reasons. John and Scarlett Hooker, who had recently married, were heading out on their honeymoon. Others were traveling for work or family.
"They were not people who saw a 6 a.m. flight as an inconvenience. A 6 a.m. flight was an opportunity to get ahead of the day," said Matthew Snoddy, whose grandfather, Tim Snoddy, was killed in the crash.
Twenty years on, Snoddy said he doesn't want the crash, or his grandfather, remembered as just another tragedy.
“This is not a eulogy for Tim. This is an illustration," Snoddy said. "His life was a thread of what we often call a tapestry."
That's sentiment Byrd also shared. She said the memorial shows that good things continue.
"The birds remind us that although those lives ended, the love surrounding them did not," Byrd said. "Love remains behind. Love carries on to families."
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