2019 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crash

Last updated

B-17-231503-bassingborne.jpg
The aircraft involved, painted as Nine-O-Nine
Accident
DateOctober 2, 2019 (2019-10-02)
SummaryCrashed on final approach due to double engine failure and pilot error [1]
Site Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States
41°55′54″N72°41′32″W / 41.93167°N 72.69222°W / 41.93167; -72.69222
Aircraft
Aircraft type Boeing B-17G-85-DL Flying Fortress
Aircraft name Nine-O-Nine (marked as)
Operator Collings Foundation
Registration N93012
44-83575 (actual)
42-31909 (marked as)
Flight originBradley International Airport
DestinationBradley International Airport
Occupants13
Passengers10
Crew3
Fatalities7
Injuries6
Survivors6
Ground casualties
Ground injuries1

On October 2, 2019, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress privately owned by the Collings Foundation crashed at Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Seven of the thirteen people on board were killed, and the other six, as well as one person on the ground, were injured. The aircraft was destroyed by fire, with only a portion of one wing and the tail remaining. [2]

Contents

Background

Prior to the accident, the Collings Foundation had been operating the aircraft as part of the Living History Flight Experience, a Federal Aviation Administration program that allows owners of vintage military aircraft to offer rides in their aircraft for compensation. The Foundation's executive director, Rob Collings, had previously requested changes to allow visitors to manipulate the controls of the aircraft and argued that the FAA had been too strict in interpreting the rules of the program. [3]

Aircraft

Collings Foundation's Nine-O-Nine, in Marana, Arizona, on April 15, 2011 2011 031 a zoom.jpg
Collings Foundation's Nine-O-Nine, in Marana, Arizona, on April 15, 2011

The aircraft involved was a 74-year-oldBoeing B-17 Flying Fortress, military serial number 44-83575 (variant B-17G-85-DL) with civilian registration N93012. [4] The aircraft was painted as a representation of a different B-17G, [5] Nine-O-Nine , with military serial number 42-31909 (variant B-17G-30-BO), which had been scrapped shortly after World War II. [6] During its original military career, the plane operated as an Air-Sea Rescue aircraft until 1952, when it was reassigned to the Air Force Special Weapons Command for use as a specimen in weapons-effects testing. In this role, it was subjected to three nuclear explosions as part of Operation Tumbler–Snapper. The aircraft was purchased as scrap in 1965 for a price of US$269(equivalent to $2,601 in 2023); being in relatively good condition, it was restored to airworthy condition for use as a water bomber over the course of ten years, entering service in 1977. Following its operator's liquidation in 1985, the aircraft was acquired by the Collings Foundation in January 1986, [5] restored to its 1945 configuration, and N93012 was flying as Nine-O-Nine by August 1986. [7] [8] While operated by the Collings Foundation, it was involved in two prior accidents. On August 23, 1987, it overran the runway on landing at Beaver County Airport in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, [5] [9] and on July 9, 1995, it was damaged on landing at Karl Stefan Memorial Airport in Norfolk, Nebraska, as the result of an undercarriage (landing gear) malfunction. [10] [11]

The October 2019 crash and resulting fire destroyed most of the aircraft. Only the left wing and part of the tail remained. [12]

Accident

The destroyed B-17 at the crash site B17 wreckage at BDL.jpg
The destroyed B-17 at the crash site

The "living history" flight had been delayed 40 minutes because of difficulty starting one of the engines. The pilot had shut down the other engines and gone out with a spray can to "blow out the moisture" prior to commencing the flight. [13] [14] The aircraft had taken off from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, at 09:48 local time (13:48 UTC), on a local flight. [10] [15] It carried three crew and ten passengers. [16] A witness reported that an engine was sputtering and smoking. [17] At 09:50, the pilot radioed that there was a problem with the airplane's No. 4 engine. [12] The control tower then diverted other traffic for an emergency landing on Runway 6. The aircraft came in low, touched down 1,000 feet (300 m) short of the runway, [13] clipped the Instrument Landing System (ILS) antenna array, veered to the right off the runway across a grassy area and taxiway, and then crashed into a de-icing facility at 09:54. [18] [12] The aircraft burst into flames. [17] Seven occupants were killed, and the remaining six were injured severely enough to be taken to the hospital, including one who was airlifted. [10] [18] Among the dead were the pilot and co-pilot, aged 75 and 71 respectively. [19] One person on the ground was injured. [20] The airport was closed for three and a half hours following the crash. [17]

Rescue

One of the passengers on the plane, a Connecticut Air National Guardsman, managed to open an escape hatch after the crash, despite having a broken arm and collarbone. An airport employee, who had been working in the building into which the plane had crashed, ran to the wreckage to help pull injured passengers from the burning plane. The employee suffered severe burns on his hands and arms and was taken by ambulance to the hospital. [21]

Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) opened an investigation into the accident. [17] A "go team" was dispatched to Bradley International Airport, headed by Jennifer Homendy. [22]

According to final report released by National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on May 17, 2021 the probable cause of the incident was the pilot failure in the properly management of the airplane's configuration and airspeed after the shutdown of the engine 4 following the partial loss of power during the initial climb. Contributing to the accident was 1) the indequate maintenance of the airplane when was on tour, which resulted in the partial loss of power on the engine 3 and 4, 2) the ineffective safety management system of the Collings Foundation which failed to identify and mitigate safety risks and 3) the Federal Aviation Administration's inadequate oversight of the Collings Foundation's safety management system. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westchester County Airport</span> Public airport in Westchester County, New York

Westchester County Airport is a county-owned airport in Westchester County, New York, United States, three miles (6 km) northeast of downtown White Plains, with territory in the towns of North Castle and Harrison, New York, and the village of Rye Brook, New York. It is sometimes referred to as the White Plains Airport and is so identified by the Official Airline Guide (OAG).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bradley International Airport</span> Airport near Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Bradley International Airport is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA), it is the second-largest airport in New England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commemorative Air Force</span> Nonprofit organization for preserving aircraft

The Commemorative Air Force (CAF), formerly known as the Confederate Air Force, is an American non-profit organization based in Dallas, Texas, that preserves and shows historical aircraft at airshows, primarily in the U.S. and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Bay–Austin Straubel International Airport</span> Airport serving Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA

Green Bay–Austin Straubel International Airport is a county-owned public-use airport in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States, which serves Northeastern Wisconsin. It is the fourth busiest of eight commercial service airports in Wisconsin in terms of passengers served. The airport is located 7 nautical miles southwest of downtown Green Bay, in the village of Ashwaubenon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lunken Airport</span> Airport

Cincinnati Municipal Airport – Lunken Field is a public airport in Cincinnati, Ohio, three miles (5 km) east of Downtown Cincinnati. It is owned by the city of Cincinnati and serves private aircraft, including the fleets of local corporations. It serves a few commercial flights and is the second-largest airport serving Cincinnati after Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, which is the area’s primary airport. It is known as Lunken Airport or Lunken Field, after Eshelby Lunken. It is bounded by US Route 50 to the west, US Route 52 and the Ohio River to the south, the Little Miami River to the east, and Ohio Route 125 to the north. The airport is headquarters and hub for Cincinnati-based public charter airline Ultimate Air Shuttle, serving 5 destinations in the eastern United States with 16 peak daily flights. Lunken is also home to small charter airline Flamingo Air and its aviation school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport</span> Airport in San Diego, California

Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport is a public airport in San Diego, California, United States, six miles (10 km) north of downtown San Diego. The airport covers 456 acres (185 ha) and has three runways, one public helipad, and two private helipads. The runways are 28R/10L and 28L/10R (parallel) and 5/23.

<i>Nine-O-Nine</i> Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress bomber

Nine-O-Nine was a Boeing B-17G-30-BO Flying Fortress heavy bomber, of the 323d Bombardment Squadron, 91st Bombardment Group, that completed 140 combat missions during World War II, believed to be the Eighth Air Force record for most missions without loss to the crews that flew her. A different B-17G, painted to mimic the Nine-O-Nine, crashed at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, in October 2019.

This is a partial list of accidents and incidents involving the Boeing-designed B-17 Flying Fortress. Combat losses are not included except for a very few cases denoted by singular circumstances. A few documented drone attrition cases are also included.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collings Foundation</span> Aviation and automotive preservation foundation in Massachusetts, United States

The Collings Foundation is a private non-profit educational foundation located in Stow, Massachusetts, with a mission dedicated to the preservation and public display of transportation-related history, namely automobile and aviation history. The Collings Foundation is headquartered at a small private airfield in Stow that includes a small museum that opens for special events and pre-scheduled tour groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flagship Airlines Flight 3379</span> Crash of a regional US airliner in 1994

Flagship Airlines Flight 3379 was a scheduled flight under the American Eagle branding from Piedmont Triad International Airport to Raleigh–Durham International Airport during which a British Aerospace Jetstream crashed while executing a missed approach to the Raleigh–Durham International Airport on the evening of Tuesday, December 13, 1994. The two pilots and 13 passengers died in the crash; five passengers survived with serious injuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empire Airlines Flight 8284</span> 2009 aviation accident

Empire Airlines Flight 8284 was a cargo flight operated by Empire Airlines for FedEx Feeder from Fort Worth Alliance Airport to Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, Texas. On January 27, 2009, it crashed on final approach to its destination. Both crew members survived with minor injuries but the aircraft was written off.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan International Airlines Flight 590</span> 1991 aviation accident

Ryan International Airlines Flight 590 was a cargo flight carrying mail for the United States Postal Service from Greater Buffalo International Airport (BUF) in Buffalo, New York, to Indianapolis International Airport (IND) in Indiana, with a stopover at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) in Cleveland, Ohio. On February 17, 1991, the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15RC operating the flight crashed on takeoff from Cleveland during icing conditions. Both pilots, the aircraft's only occupants, were killed. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the causes of the crash were the flight crew failing to deice their aircraft, and the inexperience of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), McDonnell Douglas, and Ryan International Airlines with icing condition on DC-9-10 aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transair Flight 810</span> 2021 aircraft crash in Hawaii

Transair Flight 810 was a Boeing 737-200 converted freighter aircraft, owned and operated by Rhoades Aviation under the Transair trade name, on a short cargo flight en route from Honolulu International Airport to Kahului Airport on the neighboring Hawaiian island of Maui. Immediately after an early morning takeoff on July 2, 2021, one of its two Pratt & Whitney JT8D turbofan engines faltered, and the first officer, who was flying the aircraft, reduced power to both engines. The two pilots—the only occupants of the aircraft—began executing the Engine Failure or Shutdown checklist, but became preoccupied with talking to air traffic control (ATC) and performing other flying tasks, never reaching the section of the checklist where the failing engine was to be positively identified and shut down. The captain assumed control but misidentified the failing engine, increased power to that engine, and did not increase power to the other, properly functioning engine. Convinced that neither engine was working properly and unable to maintain altitude with one engine faltering and the other idling, the pilots ditched off the coast of Oahu about 11 minutes into the flight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Dallas air show mid-air collision</span> Fatal accident during an air show in Texas, US

On November 12, 2022, two World War II–era aircraft, a B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra, collided mid-air and crashed during the Wings Over Dallas air show at Dallas Executive Airport in Dallas, Texas, United States. The air show, which coincided with Veterans Day commemorations, was organized by the Commemorative Air Force.

References

  1. ↑ "B-17 crash at Bradley International Airport". NTSB. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  2. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing B-17G-30-BO Flying Fortress N93012 Windsor Locks-Bradley International Airport, CT (BDL)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  3. ↑ Backus, Lisa (October 12, 2019). "In wake of fatal crash, Collings Foundation pushes to keep flying". The Middletown Press. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  4. ↑ Leone, Dario (October 2, 2019). "Collings Foundation B-17 Flying Fortress Crashes". theaviationgeekclub.com. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 "History of the B-17 Nine O Nine". Collings Foundation . Archived from the original on August 9, 2014.
  6. ↑ Havelaar, Marion H. (1995) The Ragged Irregulars of Bassingbourn: The 91st Bombardment Group in World War II. Schiffer Military History. ISBN   0-88740-810-9 p.185
  7. ↑ Henrichs, Mary (August 11, 1986). "Sight of vintage bomber startles ex-crew member". The Vidette-Messenger . Valparaiso, Indiana. p. 9. Retrieved October 4, 2019– via newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Thompson, Scott A. (2000) Final Cut: The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress: The Survivors. Pictorial Histories Publishing Company. ISBN   1-57510-077-0 pp.116-120
  9. ↑ Danhauer, Clifford (January 11, 1989). "National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Data Summary, Accident Number: NYC87LA238". National Transportation Safety Board . Retrieved October 3, 2019– via ntsb.gov.
  10. 1 2 3 Bonner, Michael; Simison, Cynthia G. (October 2, 2019). "The vintage B-17 bomber that crashed at Bradley International Airport had crash landed before". masslive.com. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Nine-O-Nine's Replica Survives Emergency" (PDF). The Ragged Irregular. Vol. 28, no. 4. October 1995. pp. 1–2 – via 91stbombgroup.com.
  12. 1 2 3 Owens, David; et al. (October 2, 2019). "7 dead, 7 injured in crash of World War II bomber at Connecticut's Bradley International Airport". Hartford Courant . Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  13. 1 2 "NTSB investigating whether B-17 that crashed at Bradley International Airport Wednesday had engine trouble prior to takeoff". Hartford Courant . October 3, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  14. ↑ "State police release names of victims, survivors of B-17 plane crash at Bradley International Airport". Hartford Courant. October 4, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  15. ↑ "N93012 Flight Path". Flight Aware. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  16. ↑ Paybarah, Azi; Negroni, Christine (October 2, 2019). "B-17 plane crashes at Bradley Airport Outside Hartford, Killing at Least 5". The New York Times. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "World War II-era bomber trying to land crashes in fireball; 5 deaths confirmed". WDBJ7. Archived from the original on October 4, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  18. 1 2 "'Several dead' in Connecticut vintage B-17 WWII bomber crash". BBC News. October 2, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  19. ↑ Tziperman Lotan, Gal; Sweeney, Emily; Ellement, John R. (October 3, 2019). "Two Mass. men among 7 people killed in B-17 crash in Conn" . The Boston Globe . Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  20. ↑ Geneous, Jacob (October 2, 2019). "At least five dead after World War II-era plane crashes into airport". Metro. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  21. ↑ "'A very courageous individual.' Airport employee pulled injured passengers off burning plane, police sources say". Hartford Courant. October 3, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  22. ↑ National Transportation Safety Board [@NTSB_Newsroom] (October 2, 2019). "NTSB Go Team launching to investigate Wednesday's crash of a B17 at Bradley International Airport, Connecticut. Team led by Board Member Jennifer Homendy" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  23. ↑ "Report_ERA20MA001_100356_8_21_2024%204_14_07%20PM". Aviation Safety Network. National Transportation Safety Board. May 17, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2024.PD-icon.svg One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : NTSB Investigation report for accident ERA20MA001

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.