On Mon, 28 Aug 2006 04:23:04 GMT, john smith wrote in
:

In article . com,
wrote:

Alex Pitschmann wrote:
I can see how they got disoriented in the dark (my guess)

Dark at 38N at 7am in Aug??

Yes, LEX is on the western edge of the Eastern Time Zone.
Sunrise is just before 7 AM. The aircraft departed about 6:04 AM.

It would seem that is correct:

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.html
U.S. Naval Observatory
Astronomical Applications Department


Sun and Moon Data for One Day
The following information is provided for Lexington, Fayette
County, Kentucky (longitude W84.5, latitude N38.1):

Sunday
27 August 2006 Eastern Daylight Time

SUN
Begin civil twilight 6:36 a.m.
Sunrise 7:03 a.m.
Sun transit 1:39 p.m.
Sunset 8:15 p.m.
End civil twilight 8:42 p.m.

MOON
Moonset 9:33 p.m. on preceding day
Moonrise 10:34 a.m.
Moon transit 4:19 p.m.
Moonset 9:54 p.m.
Moonrise 11:34 a.m. on following day


Phase of the Moon on 27 August: waxing crescent with 13% of the
Moon's visible disk illuminated.

New Moon on 23 August 2006 at 3:10 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.