 The episode marked Leigh's and Raver's final appearance to the series. Exterior filming of the accident took place at Big Bear Lake, California. Jason George reprised his role as a guest star, whereas James LeGros made his first appearance. The episode opened to mixed reviews from television critics, with some criticizing the death of Lexie, but praising Leigh's performance, in addition to Ellen Pompeo (Dr. Meredith Grey)' s and Eric Dane (Dr. Mark Sloan)'s. "Flight" earned Rhimes an NAACP Image Award nomination and it was also nominated under several categories of Entertainment Weekly's finale awards. Upon its initial airing, the episode was viewed by 11.44 million Americans, garnered a 4.1 / 11 Nielsen rating / share in the 18 – 49 demographic, ranking fourth for the night in terms of viewership, and registering as Thursday's highest-rated drama.
