In this aerial image taken from video, emergency crews respond to where a World War II-era bomber B-17 plane crashed at Bradley International Airport. Photo / AP
In this aerial image taken from video, emergency crews respond to where a World War II-era bomber B-17 plane crashed at Bradley International Airport. Photo / AP
A World War II-era B-17 bomber with 13 people aboard crashed and burned at the Hartford airport in an aborted takeoff attempt Wednesday, and a state official said at least five people were killed.
The four-engine, propeller-driven plane struggled to get into the air and slammed into a maintenance shedat Bradley International Airport as the pilots circled back for a landing, officials and witnesses said.
It had 10 passengers and three crew members, authorities said.
BREAKING: Emergency crews are responding to a vintage plane crash at Bradley Airport. The airport is currently closed. No word on injuries but smoke can be seen for miles https://t.co/Ce5FmcXsA4pic.twitter.com/q6sASzPWXS
Connecticut Public Safety Commissioner James Rovella said hours after the crash that some of those onboard suffered severe burns and "the victims are very difficult to identify."
The retired, civilian-registered plane was associated with the Collings Foundation, an educational group that brought its Wings of Freedom vintage aircraft display to the airport this week, officials said.
"Right now my heart really goes out to the families who are waiting," Gov. Ned Lamont said. "And we are going to give them the best information we can as soon as we can in an honest way."
The plane was a few minutes into the flight when pilots reported a problem and said it was not gaining altitude, officials said. It lost control upon touching down and struck the shed.
One person on the ground was injured, officials said. The airport — New England's second-busiest — was closed after the crash.
Flight records from FlightAware shows the plane went down about five minutes after it took off.
The data shows it had traveled about 13km and reached an altitude of 800 feet (244m).
Emergency crews respond to where a World War II-era bomber B-17 plane crashed. Photo / AP
Smoke fills the sky after a World War II-era bomber plane crashed. Photo / AP
Brian Hamer, of Norton, Massachusetts, said he was less than a mile away when he saw a B-17, "which you don't normally see," fly directly overhead, apparently trying to gain altitude but not succeeding.
One of the engines began to sputter, and smoke came out the back, Hamer said. The plane made a wide turn and headed back toward the airport, he said.
"Then we heard all the rumbling and the thunder, and all the smoke comes up and we kind of figured it wasn't good," Hamer said.
Antonio Arreguin said he had parked at a construction site near the airport for breakfast when he heard an explosion. He said he did not see the plane but could feel the heat from the fire, about 250 yards away.
"I see this big ball of orange fire, and I knew something happened," he said.
In this photo taken June 2, 2018 photo, the Nine-O-Nine, a Collings Foundation B-17 Flying Fortress taxis after landing at McClellan Airport in Sacramento. Photo / AP
Only a few of the roaring Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses are still airworthy. The planes, 74 feet long with a wingspan of 104 feet, were used in daylight strategic bombing raids against Germany during World War II — extremely risky missions that helped break the Nazis' industrial war machine.
The Collings Foundation said that the same plane in Wednesday's accident also crashed in 1987 at an air show near Pittsburgh, injuring several people. Hit by a severe crosswind as it touched down, the bomber overshot a runway and plunged down a hillside. It was later repaired.
The B-17 was built in 1945, too late for combat in World War II, according to the foundation.
It served in a rescue squadron and a military air transport service before being subjected to the effects of three nuclear explosions during testing, the foundation said. It was later sold as scrap and eventually was restored. The foundation bought it in 1986.
"This is kind of shocking. It's a loss to lose a B-17," said Hamer, whose father served in the Air Force. "I mean, there aren't very many of those left."
