Fri, Oct 04, 2019
Suggests Suspension Of Flights Pending Investigation Of Collings Foundation's B-17 Accident
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) is questioning the airworthiness of vintage WWII aircraft in the wake of an accident at Bradley International Airport (KDBL) in Windsor Locks, CT Wednesday.
Fox News reports that in an interview with Blumenthal, the senator said that the aircraft are "a great part of history. Whether they are safe to fly is another question."
"I am deeply concerned that these vintage aircraft, decades old, some of them having been involved in crashes before, are still flying," Blumenthal told Fox News. "Until we know exactly what caused this crash, a major tragedy, whether it was a defect in the machine or some problem with maintenance or flying. There should be very serious scrutiny over these planes before they're allowed back in the air."
Seven people were fatally injured when the Collings Foundation's B-19 "Nine-O-Nine" impacted a building on the airport grounds while attempting an emergency landing. NTSB member Jennifer Homendy said at a Thursday news conference that the agency has looked at 21 accidents involving WWII-era bombers since 1982 that have resulted in 23 fatalities. That statistic does not include the fatal injuries from Wednesday's accident. We have to look at that as part of our investigation," Homendy said.
Nine-O-Nine was one of only 10 B-17s currently flying.
The Connecticut State Police identified the pilot in Wednesday's accident as 75-year-old Ernest ‘Mac’ McCauley, who retired Collings Foundation pilot David Prescott described as being possibly the highest-time B-17 pilot flying. McCauley was a former airline pilot, and was "very well trained ... with a high degree of safety training on a regular basis."
On its website, the Collings Foundation said it is "fully cooperating with officials to determine the cause of the crash of the B-17 Flying Fortress and will comment further when details become known."
(NTSB image. [L-R] NTSB Board Member Jennifer Homendy and investigator Dan Bower)
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