49 Doves Documentary

The story behind an impossible tragedy, a devastated community, an accidental hero, and the weight they all carry

PRESS KIT

May 25, 2026

Official Trailer

Cast, Crew and Credits

Director: Lanny Brannock

Producers: Lanny Brannock Jennifer Evans Smith, Robert Thomas

Associate Producers: Brian Simms, Barton Bill, Matthew Snoddy, Anita Threet, Daniel Durick

Editor: Lanny Brannock

Cast in order of appearance:
Anita Threet
Julie Shepherd
Sam Dick
Kristi Runyon Middleton
Bryan Jared
Michelle Rauch
Jennifer Evans Smith
Steve White
Robert Thomas
Teresa Isaac
Wyn Morris
Brian Smith
Jennifer Smith Combs
David Finley
TG Shuck
Nancy Cox
Kristen Pflum Howard
Gerry Vandermeer
Jay Whitehead
Amy Caudill
Alan Stein
Noelle Dick
Leigh Searcy

Debbie Hersman, a member of the the National Transportation and Safety Board, spoke to the media at Hilton Suites Hotel at Lexington Green about the investigation of Comair Flight 5191 which crashed on takeoff at Blue Grass Airport, early Sunday morning, in Lexington Ky., August 28, 2006.

Pablo Alcala/Staff

Film Festivals and Awards

About the Director

Lanny Brannock produced and directed 49 Doves, beginning the project in Nov. 2025. He was a reporter with WKYT on the day of the crash and was dispatched to an area where patients would be triaged as his first assignment. Those patients never came. Lanny has been a journalist, worked in sports broadcasting, government and higher education communications, and now works in the energy sector in communications. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a minor in broadcasting from Eastern Kentucky University. He lives in Georgetown with his wife, four kids, and four dogs.