The Latest: Airport reopens after vintage bomber crash
WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. (AP) - The Latest on a World War II-era bomber plane crashing outside of Bradley International Airport (all times local):
2:50 p.m.
Bradley International Airport has reopened one runway after a World War II-era bomber crashed during an aborted takeoff attempt.
The Connecticut airport reopened one runway around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, about 4 ˆ½ hours after the crash.
Kevin Dillon is executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority. He says some flight cancelations are expected throughout the day.
Bradley International is New England’s second-busiest airport after Boston’s Logan International.
On the vintage B-17 plane operated by the Collins Foundation were 10 passengers, two pilots and an attendant.
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2:35 p.m.
A Connecticut state official says at least five people have died in the crash of a World War II-era airplane.
The official was not authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
The B-17 carrying 13 people crashed Wednesday at Bradley International Airport as it was attempting to make an emergency landing soon after takeoff.
_Susan Haigh
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1:25 p.m.
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 crash, the bomber overshot a Pennsylvania 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.
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1 p.m.
A state official says there have been fatalities in the crash of a World War-II era bomber that had 13 people on board.
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.
The B-17 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff Wednesday morning from Bradley International Airport. 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.
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12:45 p.m.
The first selectman of Windsor Locks says 13 people were aboard a vintage WWII plane that crashed at Bradley International Airport.
Chris Kervick confirmed the figure to WFSB-TV.
Kervick also says the plane crashed Wednesday morning into a building near the portion of the airport where de-icing occurs.
The Associated Press has left messages seeking comment with Kervick.
Flight records from FlightAware shows the plane crashed about five minutes after it took off. The data shows the plane had traveled about 8 miles (13 kilometers) and reached an altitude of 800 feet (244 meters).
A spokesman for Connecticut U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said the Democrat was heading to the plane crash scene. Blumenthal is calling for the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the crash as soon as possible.
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11:45 a.m.
A hospital spokesman says six people who were on the World War II-era bomber plane that crashed just outside Bradley International Airport were transported to Hartford Hospital.
Hospital spokesman Shawn Mawhiney says he doesn’t have any information on their conditions because they had just arrived.
The hospital has opened its incident command center, as is typical in an emergency.
The B-17 plane crashed late Wednesday morning. It was not immediately clear how many people were on board or where they were heading.
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This item has been corrected again to show that six people were transported to Hartford Hospital, not five, per an update from a hospital spokesman.
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10:40 a.m.
A World War II-era bomber plane crashed Wednesday just outside New England's second-busiest airport, and a fire-and-rescue operation was underway, official said.
A spokesman for Gov. Ned Lamont confirmed the crash of the B-17 plane at Bradley International Airport north of Hartford, Connecticut. The airport said in a message on Twitter that it has closed.
A fire with black smoke rose from near the airport as emergency crews responded to the site.
It wasn't clear how many people were on board or where the plane was going, Lamont spokesman Max Reiss said. The New England Air Museum is near the airport.
Airport officials said the plane was associated with the Collings Foundation, an educational group that brought its "Wings of Freedom" vintage aircraft display to Bradley International Airport this week.
A representative of the group could not immediately confirm any information about the crash but said it would issue a statement.