2019 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crash

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.

Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a 74-year-old Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, military serial number 44-83575 (variant B-17G-85-DL) with civilian registration N93012. The aircraft was painted as a representation of a different B-17G, Nine-O-Nine, with military serial number 42-31909 (variant B-17G-30-BO), which had been scrapped shortly after World War II. 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 1965; 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, 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 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 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.

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 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. 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. It carried three crew and ten passengers. A witness reported that an engine was sputtering and smoking. At 09:50, the pilot radioed that there was a problem with the airplane's No. 4 engine. The control tower then diverted other traffic for an emergency landing on Runway 6. The aircraft came in low, touched down 1000 feet short of the runway, 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. The aircraft 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. The airport was closed for three and a half hours following the crash.

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.

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