Preliminary B-17 crash findings out
The World War II-era B-17 Flying Fortress that has visited the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport multiple times during the Wings of Freedom tours might have crashed due to trouble with more than one engine.
The aircraft, known as the “Nine-O-Nine,” was destroyed in a fiery crash Oct. 2 at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn.
The plane was owned by the Collings Foundation, and was giving enthusiasts rides at the airport when the crash occurred.
The pilot, co-pilot and five passengers were killed in the crash. Four passengers and a flight mechanic were seriously injured. One passenger and one person on the ground suffered minor injuries.
A preliminary report on the crash released by the National Transportation Safety Board said the plane fueled up and took off at 9:20 a.m. with the crew and passengers aboard, just as it had dozens of times when the annual Wings of Freedom celebration visited Penn Township.
According to the preliminary report, shortly after takeoff and at about 500 feet in the air, one of the pilots radioed the control tower that he needed to return to the airport.
Control tower personnel verified the request to return and asked the pilot if he needed any assistance, to which he replied “no.”
When the controller asked the pilot the reason for the return, the pilot replied that he had a “rough mag” on one of the huge craft's four engines.
The controller canceled another incoming flight's landing and told the B-17 pilot to head for Runway 6. At about 300 feet altitude, the controller asked the pilot about his progress toward Runway 6.
The pilot replied “getting there,” which was his last transmission.
The plane then hit approach lights 1,000 feet short of the runway before landing 500 feet later, according to witnesses and the airport's surveillance videos.
The B-17 veered right off the runway before hitting “vehicles and a de-icing tank” near the airport's de-icing facility.
“The wreckage came to rest upright and the majority of the cabin, cockpit, and right wing were consumed by post-impact fire,” the report said.
Ike Kelly, manager at the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport, said he also had read the preliminary NTSB report on the crash.“There's a lot more information that's going to have to come out of the investigation before we get a real idea of all the factors that led up to the accident,” he said.Kelly, an experienced pilot, said while the preliminary report is vague, a few things caught his eye.Regarding the “rough mag” reported by the pilot before the crash, Kelly said he was almost certainly referring to the magnetos in the historic plane's ignition system.Kelly explained that the magnetos cause the engines to fire in the proper order so they run smoothly and in sync with one another.“If the magneto was not running properly, the engine would not develop the power that it should,” Kelly said.He said the preliminary report also stated that the huge propellers attached to more than one engine were “feathered” when they were examined by NTSB officials.Feathering the propellers means to turn the blades to provide the least wind resistance and drag on the craft.Kelly said the pilot only would feather the propellers of engines that did not have sufficient power, so he could take advantage of the thrust still being provided by the working engine or engines.“There's a lot more information to analyze,” Kelly said. “The flight engineer who survived will be a valuable source of information as well.”The report goes on to say that two engines remained partially attached to the left wing, and all three propellers remained attached to each engine.The third engine was recovered from the top of the de-icing tank, and the fourth engine from the de-icing building.Fuel recovered from the third engine's two intact tanks as well as the truck that provided the fuel was found to be absent of water contamination or debris.“Additionally, none of the airplanes serviced with fuel from the truck before or after the accident airplane, including another airplane operated by the Collings Foundation, reported any anomalies,” the report said.It is not known when the final report will be complete.
The Collings Foundation website includes appreciation for the first responders at the crash, and stated the foundation continues to cooperate with officials to determine the cause of the crash.The foundation has suspended the Wings of Freedom tour for the rest of the year and all historic aircraft have returned to the foundation's winter storage facility in Florida.“The mission of the Collings Foundation remains steadfast in the goal of making history come alive as we have for over 30 years,” said the entry on the site. “...we have received many stories on how powerful and life-changing the tour has been for families as we move forward, and we expect there are thousands more who have been touched by the Wings of Freedom Tour.”The site said federal agencies will review the Collings Foundation's program and other vintage aircraft organizations.The foundation is requesting comments from those who want to see the Federal Aviation Administration allow the continuation of vintage aircraft education programs in the United States.Comments can be recorded at www.collingsfoundation.org.
