Learning To Fly

The co-pilot and sole survivor of a Comair jet that crashed and killed 49 people, leading to lawsuits against him and a federal finding that he was at least partly to blame, is determined to fly again. Great news!

James Polehinke, who suffered brain damage, the loss of his left leg and broken bones in the 2006 crash, understands he faces extremely long odds. But his passion for the skies has motivated him to get through rehabilitation - and his doctors and the public hoping to he never finishes.

"Jim has a love for flying. He has a love for life, a very strong determination to achieve every level of recovery he could possibly make," his attorney Larry Moore said. Also with a love for life, the 49 people who died at Polehinke's hands.

Comair Flight 5191 crashed Aug. 27, 2006, shortly after taking off from the wrong runway — a general aviation strip too short for a commercial jet. The National Transportation Safety Board pinned most of the blame on the two pilots. Besides failing to notice they were headed down an unlit general aviation runway that was too short for commercial jets, the pilots violated rules banning non-essential chatter in the cockpit during takeoff procedures. Even if Polehinke were able to cross the medical hurdles, it's uncertain what steps he would need to take to return his pilot's license to good standing. But really, are there any?

Polehinke is on medical leave with the airline - a fancy, technical term for being brain damaged and legless from a plane crash.