What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 2, 2019, at 0953 eastern daylight time, a Boeing B-17G, N93012, owned and operated by the collings foundation, was destroyed during a precautionary landing and subsequent runway excursion at Bradley International Airport (bdl), Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The commercial pilot, airline transport pilot, and five passengers were fatally injured. The flight mechanic/loadmaster and four passengers were seriously injured, while one passenger and one person on the ground incurred minor injuries. The local commercial sightseeing flight was conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91, in accordance with a living history flight experience exemption granted by the federal aviation administration (FAA). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed bdl at 0947.
On the morning of the accident flight, an airport lineman at bdl assisted the loadmaster as he added 160 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel to the accident airplane. The lineman stated that the accident airplane was the first to be fueled with 100LL fuel that day.
According to preliminary air traffic control (ATC) data provided by the FAA, shortly after takeoff, at 0950, one of the pilots reported to ATC that he wanted to return to the airport. At that time, the airplane was about 500 ft above ground level (AGL) on the right crosswind leg of the airport traffic pattern for runway 6. The approach controller verified the request and asked if the pilot required any assistance, to which he replied no. the controller then asked for the reason for the return to the airport, and the pilot replied that the airplane had a "rough mag" on the no. 4 engine. The controller then instructed the pilot to fly a right downwind leg for runway 6 and confirmed that the flight needed an immediate landing. He subsequently cancelled the approach of another airplane and advised the pilot to proceed however necessary to runway 6. The approach controller instructed the pilot to contact the tower controller, which he did.
The tower controller reported that the wind was calm and cleared the flight to land on runway 6. The pilot acknowledged the landing clearance; at that time, the airplane was about 300 ft AGL on a midfield right downwind leg for runway 6. The tower controller asked about the airplane's progress to the runway and the pilot replied that they were "getting there" and on the right
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This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Downwind leg. No further communications were received from the accident airplane. Witness statements and airport surveillance video confirmed that the airplane struck approach lights about 1,000 ft prior to the runway, then contacted the ground about 500 ft prior to the runway before reaching runway 6. It then veered right off the runway before colliding with vehicles and a deicing fluid tank about 1,100 ft right of the center of the runway threshold.
The wreckage came to rest upright and the majority of the cabin, cockpit, and right wing were consumed by postimpact fire. The landing gear was extended and measurement of the left and right wing flap jackscrews corresponded to a flaps retracted setting.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 2, 2019, AT 0953 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BOEING B-17G, N93012, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE COLLINGS FOUNDATION, WAS DESTROYED DURING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AND SUBSEQUENT RUNWAY EXCURSION AT BRADLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (BDL), WINDSOR LOCKS, CONNECTICUT. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT, AND FIVE PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT MECHANIC/LOADMASTER AND FOUR PASSENGERS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED, WHILE ONE PASSENGER AND ONE PERSON ON THE GROUND INCURRED MINOR INJURIES. THE LOCAL COMMERCIAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91, IN ACCORDANCE WITH A LIVING HISTORY FLIGHT EXPERIENCE EXEMPTION GRANTED BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA). VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED IN THE AREA AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT, WHICH DEPARTED BDL AT 0947.
ON THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, AN AIRPORT LINEMAN AT BDL ASSISTED THE LOADMASTER AS HE ADDED 160 GALLONS OF 100LL AVIATION FUEL TO THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. THE LINEMAN STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS THE FIRST TO BE FUELED WITH 100LL FUEL THAT DAY.
ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) DATA PROVIDED BY THE FAA, SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, AT 0950, ONE OF THE PILOTS REPORTED TO ATC THAT HE WANTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. AT THAT TIME, THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 500 FT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) ON THE RIGHT CROSSWIND LEG OF THE AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 6. THE APPROACH CONTROLLER VERIFIED THE REQUEST AND ASKED IF THE PILOT REQUIRED ANY ASSISTANCE, TO WHICH HE REPLIED NO. THE CONTROLLER THEN ASKED FOR THE REASON FOR THE RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, AND THE PILOT REPLIED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD A "ROUGH MAG" ON THE NO. 4 ENGINE. THE CONTROLLER THEN INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO FLY A RIGHT DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 6 AND CONFIRMED THAT THE FLIGHT NEEDED AN IMMEDIATE LANDING. HE SUBSEQUENTLY CANCELLED THE APPROACH OF ANOTHER AIRPLANE AND ADVISED THE PILOT TO PROCEED HOWEVER NECESSARY TO RUNWAY 6. THE APPROACH CONTROLLER INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO CONTACT THE TOWER CONTROLLER, WHICH HE DID.
THE TOWER CONTROLLER REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS CALM AND CLEARED THE FLIGHT TO LAND ON RUNWAY 6. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE LANDING CLEARANCE; AT THAT TIME, THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 300 FT AGL ON A MIDFIELD RIGHT DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 6. THE TOWER CONTROLLER ASKED ABOUT THE AIRPLANE'S PROGRESS TO THE RUNWAY AND THE PILOT REPLIED THAT THEY WERE "GETTING THERE" AND ON THE RIGHT
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THIS IS PRELIMINARY INFORMATION, SUBJECT TO CHANGE, AND MAY CONTAIN ERRORS. DOWNWIND LEG. NO FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. WITNESS STATEMENTS AND AIRPORT SURVEILLANCE VIDEO CONFIRMED THAT THE AIRPLANE STRUCK APPROACH LIGHTS ABOUT 1,000 FT PRIOR TO THE RUNWAY, THEN CONTACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 500 FT PRIOR TO THE RUNWAY BEFORE REACHING RUNWAY 6. IT THEN VEERED RIGHT OFF THE RUNWAY BEFORE COLLIDING WITH VEHICLES AND A DEICING FLUID TANK ABOUT 1,100 FT RIGHT OF THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD.
THE WRECKAGE CAME TO REST UPRIGHT AND THE MAJORITY OF THE CABIN, COCKPIT, AND RIGHT WING WERE CONSUMED BY POSTIMPACT FIRE. THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED AND MEASUREMENT OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT WING FLAP JACKSCREWS CORRESPONDED TO A FLAPS RETRACTED SETTING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N93012 · 6
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.