Motley Rice investigation shows that if this is, in fact, the case, it is not the first time a flight has inadvertently gone to the wrong runway at Lexington's Blue Grass airport. According to a government report, a commercial flight preparing for take off from Lexington in 1993 made the same mistake. Thankfully, in the 1993 incident, air traffic controllers spotted the mistake before takeoff was attempted. There are two runways in Lexington. Runway 4/22, used by commercial aviation traffic, is approximately 7,000 feet long and the other, Runway 8/26, is only 3,500 feet long. The runways in Lexington are closely situated, and it is necessary for the commercial jets to taxi past the shorter runway en route to the longer one. Following the 1993 incident, it was recommended the airport improve the markings and give special guidance to pilots.

"There is seldom a single cause for an accident. It is usually a chain of events that culminates in tragedy," said Don McCune, a retired airline captain and aviation attorney with Motley Rice LLC. "Before a rush to judgment, it will be necessary to carefully consider all the factors that could lead to such an error."

McCune also stresses that confusing layouts and inadequate markings can make many airports hazardous under the best of circumstances. "Factor in darkness, rain, and inoperative lighting, and many times you are operating in a 'black hole.'"

Despite the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) recommendations to the FAA to improve runway markings and control of aircraft at airports with multiple runways, progress has been sporadic. At Blue Grass, the longer runway normally has a row of lights along the centerline to help pilots confirm their position. Reports indicate lighting and navigation systems were not working in the pre-dawn darkness on the morning of the crash.

"It is imperative that the necessary changes are made to our nation's airports - both small and large - to ensure that accidents like these are avoided and no more innocent lives are lost," said Mary Schiavo, Motley Rice aviation attorney and former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation. Runway mistakes and incursions are on the rise and the dangers increase with increased air traffic. Other factors that investigators likely will examine are the possibility of improper air traffic control actions, engine failure, flight control malfunctions, or weather problems. This is the second fatal crash of a CRJ aircraft in the United States.