A World War II vintage bomber which visited the South Coast earlier this year, taking hundreds of people up on rides crashed on the East Coast today, killing seven people. The B-17 had just taken off from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut when it had some type of problem. The aircraft turned back to the airport and tried to make an emergency landing, but hit a de-icing facility on the ground.
It caught on fire, and was destroyed.
In addition to the seven deaths, seven people were injured.
B-17’s were one of the main bombers used by the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. The non-profit Collings Foundation bought and restored the plane which crashed for use as a flying museum.
It was part of a group of vintage planes owned by the Foundation which visited Camarillo and Santa Barbara Airports in April. People toured the plane on the ground, and some bought tickets for short flight experiences.
