On October 2, 2019, a

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...

owned by the

Collings Foundation 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 C ...

crashed at

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

Windsor Locks, Connecticut Windsor Locks is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 12,613. It is the site of Bradley International Airport, which serves the Greater Hartford-Springfield region and occupies approxim ...

, 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 the tail and a portion of one wing remaining.

Aircraft

The aircraft was a 74-year-old

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

-built

, military serial number ''44-83575'' (variant B-17G-85-DL) with civilian

registration Register or registration may refer to: Arts entertainment, and media Music * Register (music), the relative "height" or range of a note, melody, part, instrument, etc. * ''Register'', a 2017 album by Travis Miller * Registration (organ), th ...

N93012. The aircraft was painted to represent a different B-17G, the 91st Bomb Group's '' Nine-O-Nine'', with military serial number ''42-31909'' (variant B-17G-30-BO), which had been mothballed shortly after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Kingman, Arizona Kingman is a city in, and the county seat of, Mohave County, Arizona, United States. It is named after Lewis Kingman, an engineer for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. It is located southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and northwest of Arizona's ...

and eventually scrapped. During its original military career, the aircraft operated as an

Air-Sea Rescue Air-sea rescue (ASR or A/SR, also known as sea-air rescue), and aeronautical and maritime search and rescue (AMSAR) by the ICAO and International Maritime Organization, IMO, is the coordinated search and rescue (SAR) of the survivors of emergenc ...

aircraft until 1952, when it was reassigned to the

Air Force Special Weapons Command The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) is a USAF Named Unit, assigned to the Air Force Materiel Command at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The AFNWC operates at the Center level of the AFMC. It is currently under the command of Major ...

for use as a specimen in weapons-effects testing. In this role, it was subjected to three

nuclear explosions A nuclear explosion is an explosion that occurs as a result of the rapid release of energy from a high-speed nuclear reaction. The driving reaction may be nuclear fission or nuclear fusion or a multi-stage cascading combination of the two, tho ...

as part of

Operation Tumbler–Snapper Operation Tumbler–Snapper was a series of nuclear weapons tests conducted by the United States in early 1952 at the Nevada Test Site. The ''Tumbler–Snapper'' series of tests followed ''Operation Buster–Jangle'' and preceded ''Operation Iv ...

. The aircraft was purchased as scrap in 1965 for a price of ; being in relatively good condition, it was restored to

airworthy In aviation, airworthiness is the measure of an aircraft's suitability for safe flight. Initial airworthiness is demonstrated by a certificate of airworthiness issued by the civil aviation authority in the state in which the aircraft is registe ...

condition for use as a

water bomber Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...

for ten years, entering civilian service in 1977.Thompson, Scott A. (2000) ''Final Cut: The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress: The Survivors''. Pictorial Histories Publishing Company. pp.116-120 Following its operator's liquidation in 1985, the aircraft was acquired by the

in January 1986, restored to its 1945 configuration, and N93012 was flying as ''Nine-O-Nine'' by August 1986. 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 near

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, and on July 9, 1995, it was damaged on landing at

Karl Stefan Memorial Airport Norfolk Regional Airport (Karl Stefan Memorial Field) is four miles southwest of Norfolk, in Madison County, Nebraska. The airport is named for Karl Stefan, a local newspaper editor and radio announcer who served several terms in the United Sta ...

Norfolk, Nebraska Norfolk ( or ) is a city in Madison County, Nebraska, United States, 113 miles northwest of Omaha and 83 miles west of Sioux City at the intersection of U.S. Routes 81 and 275. The population was 24,210 at the 2010 census, making it the nint ...

, as the result of a

landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...

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

Accident

The "living history" flight was delayed 40 minutes because of difficulty starting one of the four engines. The pilot shut down the other three engines and used a spray can of nitrogen to "blow out the moisture" in the engine that balked. The aircraft took off from

, at 09:48

local time Local time is the time observed in a specific locality. There is no canonical definition. Originally it was mean solar time, but since the introduction of time zones it is generally the time as determined by the time zone in effect, with daylight s ...

(13:48 UTC). It carried three crew and ten passengers. A witness reported that an engine was sputtering and smoking. At 09:50, two minutes after takeoff, the pilot radioed that there was a problem with engine number 4. The

control tower Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airsp ...

diverted other traffic to allow for an

emergency landing An emergency landing is a premature landing made by an aircraft in response to an emergency involving an imminent or ongoing threat to the safety and operation of the aircraft, or involving a sudden need for a passenger or crew on board to term ...

. The aircraft came in low, touched down short of the runway, clipped the

instrument landing system In aviation, the instrument landing system (ILS) is a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to aircraft to allow them to approach a runway at night or in bad weather. In its original form, it allows an aircraft to ...

(ILS) antenna array, veered to the right off the runway across a grassy area and

taxiway A taxiway is a path for aircraft at an airport connecting runways with aprons, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have a hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller general aviation airports sometimes use gravel ...

, then crashed into a

de-icing Deicing is the process of removing snow, ice or frost from a surface. Anti-icing is the application of chemicals that not only deice but also remain on a surface and continue to delay the reformation of ice for a certain period of time, or prev ...

facility at 09:54; the aircraft then burst into flames. Seven occupants were killed, and the remaining six were injured severely enough to be taken to the hospital, including one who was airlifted. Among the dead were the pilot and co-pilot, aged 75 and 71 respectively. One person on the ground was injured (see below). The airport was closed for hours after the crash.

Rescue

One of the passengers on the aircraft, 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 aircraft had crashed, ran to the wreckage to help pull injured passengers from the burning aircraft. The employee suffered severe burns on his hands and arms and was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Construction worker Robert Bullock was working nearby at the airport when he heard the explosion and felt the heat. Hearing cries for help, the former firefighter scaled a barbed wire fence and began helping victims. He applied a

tourniquet A tourniquet is a device that is used to apply pressure to a limb or extremity in order to stop the flow of blood. It may be used in emergencies, in surgery, or in post-operative rehabilitation. A simple tourniquet can be made from a stick and ...

to one patient and then moved on to others until

emergency medical services Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...

arrived. Bullock appeared to be uninjured during his heroic rescue. Multiple planes on the

ramp An inclined plane, also known as a ramp, is a flat supporting surface tilted at an angle from the vertical direction, with one end higher than the other, used as an aid for raising or lowering a load. The inclined plane is one of the six clas ...

contacted the control tower immediately after the accident helping to accelerate rescue efforts.

Air traffic control Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...

lers contacted airport fire and rescue personnel as well as Life Star. The airport was closed to allow unrestricted access to the accident scene and began diverting incoming flights.

Investigation

The

National Transportation Safety Board The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incid ...

(NTSB) opened an investigation into the accident. A "go team" was dispatched to Bradley International Airport, headed by Jennifer Homendy. The NTSB removed some wreckage to their laboratory for further analysis, completing operations at the scene by October 8. The NTSB issued its preliminary report on October 15, 2019. Fuel recovered from the tanks for the No. 3 engine appeared free from water and debris contamination and was consistent with 100LL avgas in smell and appearance. The fuel truck that had refueled the aircraft with of 100LL before the flight was quarantined. Still, the NTSB found no anomalies in its fuel supply or equipment, and no engine trouble was reported by pilots of other aircraft refueled from the same truck before or after the accident aircraft. During the flight, the accident pilot had reported that the No. 4 engine had a "rough mag" referring to a

magneto A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...

on that engine. The NTSB reported that the propeller blades of the No. 3 engine were near the feathered position, and the propeller blades of the No. 4 engine were in the feathered position. The aircraft had landed with the flaps in the retracted position, and the landing gear extended. In March 2020, the

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

revoked the Collings Foundation's permission to carry passengers, citing numerous safety concerns and noting that allowing passengers "would adversely affect safety." Investigators found substantial shortcomings in the foundation's safety practices: key personnel were ignorant of the organization's maintenance program and "basic information concerning operations." The left magneto for the No. 4 engine had been " jury igged with

safety wire Safety wire or locking-wire is a type of '' positive locking device'' that prevents fasteners from falling out due to vibration and other forces. The presence of safety wiring may also serve to indicate that the fasteners have been properly tigh ...

and was inoperative, while the right magneto produced a weak or no spark in four of the nine cylinders it was supposed to fire. All

spark plug A spark plug (sometimes, in British English, a sparking plug, and, colloquially, a plug) is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air ...

s on both the No. 3 and No. 4 engines had been gapped improperly. They needed cleaning, and evidence of

detonation Detonation () is a type of combustion involving a supersonic exothermic front accelerating through a medium that eventually drives a shock front propagating directly in front of it. Detonations propagate supersonically through shock waves with ...

was found. The inspection of engine No. 3 also revealed problems with the cylinders. An updated NTSB docket summary containing investigation details, testimonies, media, and medical reports was released on December 9, 2020. The final NTSB report was released on April 13, 2021, and cited pilot error as the likely cause—noting in particular, "The B-17 could likely have overflown the approach lights and landed on the runway had the pilot kept the landing gear retracted and accelerated to 120 mph until it was evident the airplane would reach the runway."—with inadequate maintenance as a contributing factor.

Legal action

In June 2020, the families of three of the victims who were killed and five who were injured filed a

wrongful death Wrongful death claim is a claim against a person who can be held liable for a death. The claim is brought in a civil action, usually by close relatives, as enumerated by statute. In wrongful death cases, survivors are compensated for the harm, l ...

lawsuit against the Collings Foundation. The lawsuit claimed that the Collings Foundation failed to take necessary safety precautions for a passenger flight.

References

External links

N93012, Boeing B17 – Accident Docket
– NTSB
Aviation Accident Final Report: ERA20MA001
– NTSB * * {{Aviation accidents and incidents in 2019 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crash Accidental deaths in Connecticut Aviation accidents and incidents in Connecticut Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crash Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crash Windsor Locks, Connecticut