Says The Airplane Might Have Been Saved But For The Muddy Field

In an account on the Liberty Foundations website, chief pilot Ray Fowler says the organizations B-17 would have likely only suffered minimal damage from Monday's engine fire if local fire crews had been able to get across the muddy field and extinguish the flames.

 
File Photo

Fowler says that the a scheduled 25-hour inspection had been completed on the airplane on Saturday, and though the weather was below minimums for passenger flights, they did fly for training and proficiency. Other maintenance issues arose after that flight, so Sunday's flying schedule was cancelled to make repairs.

Capt. John Hess was flying left seat in the B-17 on Monday, and Bud Dittic was in the right seat. Both have over 14,000 hours flying time in their logbooks, with deep experience in vintage WWII aircraft.

The flames were first spotted by Cullen Underwood, who was flying as chase plane in his T-6. A photograph on the website shows a very-much-intact Liberty Belle on the ground in the field, with fire coming from the No. 2 engine which is shielded by the fuselage. Fowler says the crew had time to shut down and feather the engine, and made an "on-speed" landing in the field. Fowler says the crew was able to unload baggage from the aircraft as Underwood directed firefighters to the landing site from the T-6. But the local responders said the field was too muddy and soft to cross, and the crew stood by and watched a small fire become larger and then eventually reach the fuel cells with the inevitable result.

 
File Photo

Fowler says that, had the firefighters been able to get to the plane, it in all likelihood would have lived to fly another day.

Fowler also has some less-than-flattering things to say about the way the non-aviation media reported the accident. He praised the professionalism of the crew of the B-17 as well as Mr. Underwood for making sure all were safe following the emergency landing, and does not close the door on another B-17 someday flying for the Liberty Foundation.

FMI: www.libergyfoundation.org