X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Received: from qmta09.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net ([76.96.30.96] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.4.0) with ESMTP id 5020038 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Tue, 14 Jun 2011 09:46:53 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=76.96.30.96; envelope-from=wschertz@comcast.net Received: from omta15.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net ([76.96.30.71]) by qmta09.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net with comcast id vpZW1g0021Y3wxoA9pmGxi; Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:46:16 +0000 Received: from WschertzPC ([71.57.77.95]) by omta15.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net with comcast id vplk1g00L23NHuF8bplkhc; Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:45:45 +0000 Message-ID: <5485119526A741DDA57C968C69FB83AB@WschertzPC> From: "Bill Schertz" To: Subject: Fw: from JFK: WWII bomber that crashed underwent maintenance over weekend Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:46:15 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0006_01CC2A6F.85394080" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal Importance: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Windows Live Mail 15.4.3508.1109 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V15.4.3508.1109 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0006_01CC2A6F.85394080 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Some local excitement yesterday. I fly out of the Aurora, IL airport, = and the B-17 =91Liberty=92 had been there over the weekend to sell rides = and tours. On Sunday, it was grounded as they tried to repair a fuel = leak. Monday morning it took off for Indianapolis, and had an engine = fire and started to return to Aurora, but determined that they = couldn=92t make it. The pilot set it down in a field successfully, and = then it burned to the ground. It didn=92t =93CRASH=94, it had a problem = that was competently handled by the pilot, who landed it gear down in a = field. It did burn up, but I think the pilot showed professional skill, = and that it was an unfortunate incident/mechanical failure emergency = that was handled as well as could be expected. Bill Schertz KIS Cruiser #4045 N343BS Phase one testing Completed WWII bomber that crashed underwent maintenance over weekend =20 A photographer captures the moments after a World War II-era B-17 = bomber crashes in a cornfield southeast of Aurora Municipal Airport = today. Seven crew members and volunteers walked away without serious = injury, officials said. (Photo by Dan McHale / June 12, 2011) =20 By Gerry Smith, Cynthia Dizikes, Serena Maria Daniels and Carlos Sadovi = Tribune reporters=20 4:59 p.m. CDT, June 13, 2011 A World War II "Flying Fortress" bomber that crashed and burned in a = cornfield this morning had undergone maintenance over the weekend, but = investigators say they aren't sure why the B-17 developed problems. The plane, christened the "Liberty Belle," took off from the Aurora = Muncipal Airport at 9:30 a.m. and made an emergency crash landing near = Highway 71 and Minkler Road in Oswego after the pilot reported an engine = fire, according to Sugar Grove Fire Chief Marty Kunkle. a.. Related=20 b.. Photos: "Liberty Belle" B-17 crashes=20 c.. Story: Vet turned down trip on plane: 'I was lucky this morning'=20 d.. Photo archive: A ride on the Liberty Belle=20 Witnesses said the pilot set the plane down between a tower and a line = of trees. Seven crew members and volunteers walked away without serious = injury. The crew had smelled smoke and were trying to pinpoint the problem when = the pilot of another plane, a single-engine T6 Texan, radioed them about = the engine fire, according to Tim Sorensen, an air safety investigator = for the National Transportation Safety Board. The fire exploded after the landing, causing damage mostly to the = fuselage and cockpit. Sorensen said NTSB investigators did not know the cause of the fire but = said crews were working on maintenance to the plane over the weekend. = The NTSB will release a preliminary report in about a week and a final = report in nine months. NTSB officials will return to the scene Tuesday to determine how to = remove the craft from the field. Investigators will also review pilot = and maintenance records. One person on the plane was treated at Rush-Copley Medical Center in = Aurora and released, hospital spokeswoman Courtney Satlak said. The plane was headed to the Indianapolis Regional Airport and was due to = arrive at about noon, according to Allisa Pipes, an airport spokeswoman. = The plane was scheduled to give flights to the media today and was = expected to offer flights to the public over the Father=92s Day weekend, = Pipes said. Don Brooks, founder of the Liberty Foundation, said the seven people on = board were crew members and volunteers who help with the foundation=92s = tours around the country. The foundation had been flying the "Liberty Belle" since it was restored = in 2004, Brooks said. The plane had not missed more than =93a couple = days=94 due to mechanical problems, he said, once flying to England and = back with no problems. =93The airplane had been maintained meticulously,=94 Brooks said. =93We = almost never have problems with it. We don=92t know what happened to it = other than there was a fire.=94 Brooks said the pilot, whom he would not identify, did =93a masterful = job=94 getting the plane down quickly and safely. Brooks said the foundation has another plane =96 a restored Curtis P-40E = Warhawk =96 that was in Aurora this weekend and flew safely to Mount = Comfort. The foundation has another B-17 that is still being restored, = Brooks said. =93It=92s a sad day but a good one in that no one was hurt,=94 Brooks = said. =93An airplane can be replaced.=94 Jim Barry was at his home in the Deerpath Creek subdivision when he = heard a plane flying low overhead. "The windows were rattling. I said, = 'That's a crop duster.' " He looked out and saw the bomber and a smaller yellow plane. An engine = on the left wing of the bomber -- the one farthest from the cockpit --- = was on fire. "Not a lot of flames, just more smoke than flames," Barry said. The pilot managed to set the plane down in a gap between a relay tower = about 60 to 70 feet high and a line of trees 25 to 30 feet high -- = around 500 yards from his home. "He did a great job," Barry said. Once the plane was on the ground, flames started shooting 50 feet in the = air. Within minutes, emergency crews were at the crash site. "It was shocking," Barry said. His neighbor, Drew Mundsinger, was driving back home with his son after = dropping off other children at school when they saw the plane flying low = overhead. A smaller plane was flying with the B-17. Mundsinger said he knew the plane was in the area providing rides and = didn't think much of it. When they came close to their home, they saw = large plumes of dark smoke filling the air and at first thought it was = someone burning leaves. Then he and his son realized one of the planes had crashed. By the time = he reached his home, he saw the plane burning in a cornfield about 500 = yards behind his home. "It looked like nothing could survive that," said Mundsinger, whose home = was about 500 yards from the smoldering crash. "The scary thing is, it = was heading right at our house. It made my heart race up a beat. I can = clearly look straight out at it.=94 Gene Sheeley was loading groceries into his car outside a Jewel store = when he heard a plane flying overhead. Looking up, Sheeley said he = noticed the bomber was gliding extremely low over the intersection of = Orchard Road and Illinois Route 71 in Oswego.=20 =93I thought this puppy is flying low, but I didn=92t realize it was = going to crash,=94 Sheeley said. But moments later Sheeley, 72, saw a large plume of black smoke rising = into the clear blue sky. =93The first thing that came to my mind was = did anybody get hurt,=94 Sheeley said. The B-17 was primarily deployed by the U.S. Army Air Forces in daylight = strategic bombing of German industrial and military targets. It also = participated to a lesser extent in the Pacific, where it conducted raids = against Japanese shipping and airfields. The plane that crashed was manufactured in 1944. It was sold on June 25, = 1947 as scrap to Esperado Mining Co. of Altus, Okla. and was sold again = later that year to Pratt & Whitney for $2,700, according to the = foundation's website. Whitney operated the B-17 from Nov. 19, 1947 to 1967 to test turboprop = engines. It was donated in the late 1960s to the Connecticut = Aeronautical Historic Association in East Hartford, but was heavily = damaged in 1979 when a tornado threw another aircraft against the = B-17=92s mid-section, breaking the fuselage, the foundation said. It was stored in the New England Air Museum in Connecticut until the = foundation began restoring it. The plane travels around the country, giving rides to the public at $430 = each. It was at the Aurora Municipal Airport on Saturday and Sunday, = according to the foundation's website. It was due to visit Indianapolis, = Dayton and Cincinnati in the next few weeks. chicagobreaking@tribune.com ------=_NextPart_000_0006_01CC2A6F.85394080 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Some local excitement yesterday. I fly out of the Aurora, IL = airport, and=20 the B-17 =91Liberty=92 had been there over the weekend to sell rides and = tours. On=20 Sunday, it was grounded as they tried to repair a fuel leak. Monday = morning it=20 took off for Indianapolis, and had an engine fire and started to return = to=20 Aurora, but determined that they couldn=92t make it. The pilot set it = down in a=20 field successfully, and then it burned to the ground. It didn=92t = =93CRASH=94, it had=20 a problem that was competently handled by the pilot, who landed it gear = down in=20 a field. It did burn up, but I think the pilot showed professional = skill, and=20 that it was an unfortunate incident/mechanical failure emergency that = was=20 handled as well as could be expected.
 
Bill=20 Schertz
KIS Cruiser #4045
N343BS
Phase one testing = Completed
 
WWII=20 bomber that crashed underwent maintenance over weekend
3D"B-17
3D"B-17=20

A photographer captures the moments after a World = War=20 II-era B-17 bomber crashes in a cornfield southeast of Aurora = Municipal=20 Airport today. Seven crew members and volunteers walked away = without=20 serious injury, officials said. (Photo by Dan McHale / June 12,=20 2011)


By Gerry = Smith, Cynthia=20 Dizikes, Serena Maria Daniels and Carlos Sadovi Tribune reporters=20

4:59 p.m. CDT, June = 13,=20 2011

A World War II = "Flying=20 Fortress" bomber that crashed and burned in a cornfield this morning had = undergone maintenance over the weekend, but investigators say they = aren't sure=20 why the B-17 developed problems.

The plane, christened the = "Liberty=20 Belle,"  took off from the Aurora Muncipal Airport at 9:30 a.m. and = made an=20 emergency crash landing near Highway 71 and Minkler Road in Oswego after = the=20 pilot reported an engine fire, according to Sugar Grove Fire Chief Marty = Kunkle.
  • Related=20
  • 3D""=20 Photos: "Liberty Belle" B-17 crashes=20
  • Story: Vet turned down trip on plane: 'I = was lucky=20 this morning'=20
  • 3D"Photo Photo archive: A ride on the Liberty = Belle=20
Witnesses said the = pilot set the=20 plane down between a tower and a line of trees. Seven crew members and=20 volunteers walked away without serious injury.

The crew had = smelled smoke=20 and were trying to pinpoint the problem when the pilot of another plane, = a=20 single-engine T6 Texan, radioed them about the engine fire, according to = Tim=20 Sorensen, an air safety investigator for the National Transportation = Safety=20 Board.

The fire exploded after the landing, causing damage mostly = to the=20 fuselage and cockpit.

Sorensen said NTSB investigators did not = know the=20 cause of the fire but said crews were working on maintenance to the = plane over=20 the weekend. The NTSB will release a preliminary report in about a week = and a=20 final report in nine months.

NTSB officials will return to the = scene=20 Tuesday to determine how to remove the craft from the field. = Investigators will=20 also review pilot and maintenance records.

One person on the = plane was=20 treated at Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora and released, hospital=20 spokeswoman Courtney Satlak said.

The plane was headed to the=20 Indianapolis Regional Airport and was due to arrive at about noon, = according to=20 Allisa Pipes, an airport spokeswoman. The plane was scheduled to give = flights to=20 the media today and was expected to offer flights to the public over the = Father=92s Day weekend, Pipes said.

Don Brooks, founder of the = Liberty=20 Foundation, said the seven people on board were crew members and = volunteers who=20 help with the foundation=92s tours around the country.

The = foundation had=20 been flying the "Liberty Belle" since it was restored in 2004, Brooks = said. The=20 plane had not missed more than =93a couple days=94 due to mechanical = problems, he=20 said, once flying to England and back with no problems.

=93The = airplane had=20 been maintained meticulously,=94 Brooks said. =93We almost never have = problems with=20 it. We don=92t know what happened to it other than there was a=20 fire.=94

Brooks said the pilot, whom he would not identify, did = =93a=20 masterful job=94 getting the plane down quickly and = safely.

Brooks said the=20 foundation has another plane =96 a restored Curtis P-40E Warhawk =96 = that was in=20 Aurora this weekend and flew safely to Mount Comfort. The foundation has = another=20 B-17 that is still being restored, Brooks said.

=93It=92s a sad = day but a=20 good one in that no one was hurt,=94 Brooks said. =93An airplane can be=20 replaced.=94

Jim Barry was at his home in the Deerpath Creek = subdivision=20 when he heard a plane flying low overhead. "The windows were rattling. I = said,=20 'That's a crop duster.' "

He looked out and saw the bomber and a = smaller=20 yellow plane. An engine on the left wing of the bomber -- the one = farthest from=20 the cockpit --- was on fire.

"Not a lot of flames, just more = smoke than=20 flames," Barry said.

The pilot managed to set the plane down in a = gap=20 between a relay tower about 60 to 70 feet high and a line of trees 25 to = 30 feet=20 high -- around 500 yards from his home. "He did a great job," Barry=20 said.

Once the plane was on the ground, flames started shooting = 50 feet=20 in the air. Within minutes, emergency crews were at the crash = site.

"It=20 was shocking," Barry said.

His neighbor, Drew Mundsinger, was = driving=20 back home with his son after dropping off other children at school when = they saw=20 the plane flying low overhead. A smaller plane was flying with the=20 B-17.

Mundsinger said he knew the plane was in the area providing = rides=20 and didn't think much of it. When they came close to their home, they = saw large=20 plumes of dark smoke filling the air and at first thought it was someone = burning=20 leaves.

Then he and his son realized one of the planes had = crashed. By=20 the time he reached his home, he saw the plane burning in a cornfield = about 500=20 yards behind his home.

"It looked like nothing could survive = that," said=20 Mundsinger, whose home was about 500 yards from the smoldering crash. = "The scary=20 thing is, it was heading right at our house. It made my heart race up a = beat. I=20 can clearly look straight out at it.=94

Gene Sheeley was loading = groceries=20 into his car outside a Jewel store when he heard a plane flying = overhead.=20 Looking up, Sheeley said he noticed the bomber was gliding extremely low = over=20 the intersection of Orchard Road and Illinois Route = 71 in=20 Oswego. =

=93I thought=20 this puppy is flying low, but I didn=92t realize it was going to = crash,=94 Sheeley=20 said.

But moments later Sheeley, 72, saw a large plume of black = smoke=20 rising into the clear blue sky.  =93The first thing that came to my = mind was=20 did anybody get hurt,=94 Sheeley said.

The B-17 was primarily = deployed by=20 the U.S. Army Air = Forces in=20 daylight strategic bombing of German industrial and military = targets. =20 It  also participated to a lesser extent in the Pacific, where it = conducted=20 raids against Japanese shipping and airfields.

The plane that = crashed was=20 manufactured in 1944. It was sold on June 25, 1947 as scrap to Esperado = Mining=20 Co. of Altus, Okla. and was sold again later that year to Pratt & = Whitney=20 for $2,700, according to the foundation's website.

Whitney = operated the=20 B-17 from Nov. 19, 1947 to 1967 to test turboprop engines. It was = donated in the=20 late 1960s to the Connecticut = Aeronautical=20 Historic Association in East Hartford, = but was=20 heavily damaged in 1979 when a tornado threw another aircraft against = the B-17=92s=20 mid-section, breaking the fuselage, the foundation said.

It was = stored in=20 the New England Air Museum in Connecticut until the foundation began = restoring=20 it.

The plane travels around the country, giving rides to the = public at=20 $430 each. It was at the Aurora Municipal Airport on Saturday and = Sunday,=20 according to the foundation's website. It was due to visit Indianapolis, = Dayton=20 and Cincinnati in the next few weeks.

chicagobreaking@t= ribune.com=20
------=_NextPart_000_0006_01CC2A6F.85394080--