Vintage Plane That Went Down In Connecticut Also Crashed At Beaver Co. Airport In 1987
WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. (AP/KDKA) -- The vintage B-17 bomber that crashed Wednesday morning at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut also crashed back in the 1980s at the Beaver County Airport.
The Collings Foundation confirmed the plane that crashed was the B-17 nicknamed the "Nine-O-Nine," the same plane that crashed in August 1987 at an air show near Pittsburgh.
In the 1987 incident, the bomber overshot the runway while attempting to land at Beaver County Airport in gusty winds and plunged down a hillside as thousands of spectators were waiting for the show's finale.
The Federal Aviation Administration said three people were injured in the crash. The FAA said the plane's airspeed was excessive and cited pilot errors.
The foundation says damage to the plane was repaired, and it went on make more than 1,200 tour stop.
The plane was named the "Nine-O-Nine" in honor of another B-17 of the same name that successfully completed 140 missions during World War II.
In Wednesday's incident, the vintage plane crashed shortly after takeoff at the Connecticut airport.
- For more on the crash, visit CBS Boston at this link.
Officials say the aircraft was five minutes into the flight when it reported it had a problem and was not gaining altitude. It was attempting to land when it struck a maintenance shed at the airport.
One person who as on the ground was injured in addition to the people on board.
A state official said their are fatalities as a result of the crash. At least five people have died.
Connecticut Public Safety Commissioner James Rovella said at a news conference that some people on board suffered severe burns and it is too soon to say how many have died.
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