Laurel County family marks 20 years since Flight 5191 loss with new memorial efforts

More than 20 years after the Flight 5191 tragedy, a family in Laurel County says it is still finding ways to honor a passenger who died aboard the flight, using ongoing memorial efforts meant to keep the person’s story known to the community.

WKYT reported that the initiative began with the son of one of the Flight 5191 passengers, who said he has been working to enshrine his father’s legacy long after his death. In the years since the loss, the family has continued to return to the theme of remembrance, turning personal grief into an activity the household can share with neighbors and local institutions.

The renewed focus comes as the family looks back on how public attention can fade over time, particularly when tragedies are no longer in day-to-day news. According to WKYT, the son’s efforts are aimed at ensuring that the service and sacrifice associated with the flight are not forgotten, even as two decades have passed.

The report described the effort as an act of community continuity, with the family seeking to place the story within the local memory of Laurel County. Rather than treating remembrance as a one-time event, the family said it has kept returning to the idea of building a lasting tribute that will endure beyond the anniversary date.

WKYT did not indicate that the family’s actions involve changes to any official governmental process, court record, or ongoing public agency investigation. Instead, the focus is on memorialization and legacy, grounded in what the family says it can do locally to preserve recognition of the Flight 5191 victim.

While the crash occurred years earlier, the timing of the latest steps highlights how families continue to shape remembrance decades later, often by finding new ways to reach public audiences. The WKYT report frames the current chapter as a continuation of those efforts as the family looks for fresh ways to keep the legacy visible in Laurel County.

As the family’s renewed memorial work moves forward, the community impact will likely depend on how broadly the efforts are shared locally and whether the initiatives remain connected to established community venues. For now, WKYT’s account centers on the family’s ongoing commitment to honoring a victim’s legacy after 20 years.