Owner Of WWII-Era Bomber Involved In Conn. Crash Prohibited From Carrying Passengers

The Federal Aviation Administration revoked a foundation’s permission to carry passengers aboard its World War II-era planes after a deadly crash in Connecticut in October.

The agency cited safety concerns in its decision to prohibit the Collings Foundation from chartering its historic B-17 bomber, the Hartford Courant reported Wednesday.

FAA officials found that there were problems with two of the aircraft’s four engines and that the Collings Foundation did not follow the requirements to operate the aircraft and carry passengers and “lacked a safety culture when operating the B-17G,” according to the decision released Wednesday.

The aircraft with 13 people aboard crashed at Bradley International Airport on Oct. 3 after encountering mechanical trouble on takeoff.

Five passengers who had each paid $450 to fly aboard the aircraft as well as the pilot and co-pilot were killed while the others were left with serious burns.

The four-engine, propeller-driven B-17 bomber struggled to get into the air and slammed into a maintenance building at the Hartford airport as the pilots circled back for a landing, officials and witnesses said at the time of the crash.

Collings spokesman Hunter Chaney did not respond to an emailed request for comment Wednesday evening.