Liberty Belle B-17 flew over my house...now it's gone...

if you ever get the chance to see one of these flying fortress' in person do it and if you lucky enough to meet one of the real heroes that flew in them back in the day you will cherish the memories they share,the loss of this plane just ruined my day as I have loved these since I was a kid and got to play in some junkers in a airplane grave yard here in tucson back in the 60s......The Tucson Over the Hill Gang was lucky enought to take pics with one last year (not the one that crashed)

 

Yesterday was a sad day for the loss of a historic plane, glad to hear the crew got out though thats rare to here in these type accidents.

 

This makes me sick to my stomach , at least nobody was hurt...what a shame

 

x2 minus the kids! cause i dont have any yet. i could only imagine what it would sound and feel like watching 300 plus planes fly over! that would be awesome!!!! very sad this plane is gone now. we do get them flying over our house when the tour comes around, very very very cool!

 

Well stated! I like your outlook. Machines should be used!

 

mother dog

 

What a shame. Are there any other flyable B17s? I hope so, and I hope that they are kept safe.

 

I loved B-17s also. I can remember when I was about 5 years old watching a B-17A fly over our house in North Portland. I think it was about 500 feet. The insignia had red circles in the blue stars. I could have counted the rivets if I knew how to count. Many years later after I had served in the Air Force the Forest Service used them for fighting forest fires. I lived in Corbett, Oregon right on the edge of the Columbia River Gorge. The Forest Service B-17s were overloaded with flame retardent and would barely clear the edge of the gorge after taking off in Troutdale. Sometimes there would be as many as ten of them. They didn't have an easy life back then.

 

There are a few flying B-17's remaining, but not very many. We had "Aluminum Overcast" at a regional airport south of Denver this past weekend. I believe "Memphis Belle" is also still flying. There are a few more, but I don't know which ones and how many.

The "Liberty Foundation" has posted a very detailed report on their website for those interested in more information:
http://www.libertyfoundation.org/index.html

 

This is a terrible loss of something great. Your recollection reminds me of growing up on final approach in Paso Robles. We had/have the CDF base right there. Before all the turbine stuff I used otbe able to ride my bike to the end of the field and lay down asthe B-17's, single fin B-24 I forget what it was called, DC-6's, flying box cars with Jato, P2's and the Trackers when they still had radials all flew. Even a few OV-10's for spotters. MAn that was great, I can still tell the sound of each one when I hear 'em.

Tim

 

Sad news indeed. I got a ride in it last year here in Buffalo and was wondering if it was coming back.Sure am lucky , and honored to have gotten my dream come true.Glad everyone got out safe!!!

 

What a beautiful bird!!!

 

Sad to see. BTW- She flew over my house too!

 

Thanks for posting the link to the Liberty Belle site. I, like all of you, love the old war birds and those who flew them. I have read several books about the bomber pilots of WWII the past few months. Fascinating history!

 

I actually used to work right across the highway from the museum. We've
gone there a few times when they open it up and put on an "unofficial"
air show. Around the 4th of July, a bunch of smaller Texans, a P-40, and a
P-51 circle the air field before the fireworks go off. I think we've only
caught the Texas Raider there once, and she was in the hanger. I don't
think they hanger any of the big girls there.. We did get to see an 80 year
old man rip it up in the Mustang one year. He was barely walking on foot,
but was like a kid in that Mustang..

 

Texas Raiders is still based at Hobby, but FIFI and Ol' 927 are supposed to split time between Cavannaugh and Midland though I'm not sure they've been back to Midland for anything other than AirSho since FIFI began flying again.

 

The pilot is a Colorado guy. He did a heck of a job landing in the field with everyone walking away. Apparently the field was so muddy, that the fire trucks were delayed gettig to the crash site.

 

1959apache...Have you ever been inside an aircraft that was ON FIRE, in the air? FIRST RULE: Get on the ground and get the folks out...PRONTO! They had the airport in sight, yet appropriately, elected to put it down where they did. YOU say the pilot should have "pulled it closer to a place where the fire trucks could get to it". I'm only guessing that that was probably one of the last things on his mind in the minute and 42 seconds that elapsed between realizing they were on fire and the time they got it down and stopped. It was the fire department's decision to initially NOT drive their equipment across the field that they deemed too wet from recent rains. Finally, as reported, they did pull the fire bottle on #2 engine. Fire suppression systems on aircraft will most ***uredly NOT handle a fire ANYWHERE on the aircraft. The two boys (actually, both well-seasoned old Delta captains) flyin' this rig did an exemplary, textbook job of proper aviating under the cir***stances on this sad occasion. All seven people walked-away in one piece to go home to their wives and kids for another day. In-flight fires are UGLY! DD

 

Not Cool. Another beautiful plane down.

 

My friend saw the smoke from Plainfield he said it was 3 miles Southwest of his place

 

I got a chance to see her up close and personal in 06. I was driving a truck and went past the old airbase in Halls TN. She was just sitting there on the tarmac. The crew had one of the wheels off working on the brakes. The crew gave me free reign of her. I got some great pictures. She was a beauty and will be missed.

Duane in Tennessee.

 

Originally Posted by 1959apache
I am still questioning how in the world can these things fly home with the @#$% kicked out of them and still make it back 60+ years ago, but an engine fire just obliterates this one in a farmers field... Sounds to me like the pilot could have done a little better seeing that our boys made it home with half of their plane left and more than likely and engine fire took place in more than one of them..
why wouldn't the pilot pull it closer to a place where the fire trucks could get to it?? Also, I wouldn't think the FAA would let one of these fly without some kind of fire suppression system. I could be wrong, but wouldn't that be the smart thing to do? especially seeing how old, unique, and very rare this bird is



Different times, different regulations back then. Less places to land, more houses, more people to be hurt or killed. Plus those guys were fighting a war, and fighting to stay alive. This Colorado pilot had a highly precious cargo on-board: other people who were counting on him to know his stuff. The fact he was able to land it on its wheels the way nature intended is a ****** miracle in itself, let alone that all got out with their lives intact.

 

what I am talking about are squibs or other like suppression systems and why they were not throughout the plane to protect the history of the plane itself, that is what I as referring to as far as a fire suppression system, not just a fire bottle(s) for the engine(s).
Also, not to light another fire (no pun intended), but if you guys look at more than one picture the plane is completely intact when landed with a fire on the left side of the plane and was not a fireball from what can be seen from pictures at the time of landing. Only pictures after everyone has cleared the landing were taken, the pilot would have a very big difficulty getting out if it was as bad as posted in the pictures (fire consuming left side of plane). Granted the pilot has skill, as noted by his log of flight hours, but the cargo was still precious 60+ years ago (human life) and crash landing in fields was not uncommon (much worse than this nice landing with far worse damage to the aircraft) and people still made it out back then... These planes were MADE to be crash landed and take every kind of beating imaginable and this plane wasnt crash landed. In addition, the wheels are not sunk into the field, noting that the terrain was not as bad as it was stated and in some pictures... you can see fire trucks close by and with hoses extending well into the crash radius.. so I am guessing the fire department has some dumb regulation that wouldn't let them spray this thing down to save it. It is a crying shame and I suppose I am a little bent that one of the very few fortresses that was still operational is now gone forever because something was overlooked. I was planning on seeing it this weekend and maybe take a ride. Planes just dont burn to the ground...

I guess I am ultimately bothered by the overuse of the word "hero" and "miracle". These words should only be used when extraordinary bravery and valor is required to save lives, this plane was in one piece when landed without any real damage except for the fire that eventually took her... If the plane did not burn to the ground this really would not have made the news, just another landing in another field. There are plenty of fields up there and the fact that it was a "wet, soft" field even a belly landing would have been relatively easy, its not like he used the one field in the middle of the city to land her.

 

i think i saw the liberty belle back in the 1980s at the chino air show.

 

Glad everyone walked away, but what a sad loss of a great B-17. If you go to the website for Liberty Belle you'll see she spent time here in Connecticut with a fifth engine mounted in the nose. I never got to see her up close, but I believe the restoration was one of the best. Dad was a Chief Armorer at Great Ashfield, so B-17's are special to me.

 

Hero in my book!

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Subject: Statement by Chief pilot: B-17 WWII bomber crashes near Aurora

Statement from Liberty Foundation Chief Pilot:
First, let me start off by sincerely thanking everyone for the outpouring of support that we are receiving. I am sorry that I have not yet had the opportunity to return the many phone calls, text or e-mails that I am receiving offering to help. Again, thank you for all of the kind words that we are receiving and for incredible offers to help emotionally, financially and/or with the recovery process. I hope this statement will help fill in a few details that everyone is wondering about that led to the loss of our “Liberty Belle”.

Yesterday morning, both our P-40 and B-17 were scheduled to fly from Aurora, Illinois to Indianapolis, Indiana. We were in Aurora for the weekend as a part of our scheduled tour. Over the course of the previous week, we completed a scheduled 25-hour inspection on the B-17 which was completed by Saturday. On Saturday, the weather stayed below the required ceiling to give any p***enger flights, however the B-17 flew in the morning on a routine training proficiency flight, performing several patterns. Following the flight, other maintenance issues arose that required us to cancel our Sunday flying schedule for repairs. The maintenance performed has not been, in any way, ***ociated to the chain of events that led to Monday’s fateful flight, but is being considered in the preliminary investigation. However, due to the media’s sensational (mis)reporting, there is a large amount of misinformation that continues to lead the news.

Here is what we do know… Flying in the left seat of the B-17 was Capt. John Hess. John has been flying our Liberty Belle since 2005 and one of our most experienced B-17 pilots. He is an active Delta Air Lines Captain with over 14,000 hours of flying experience and flys a variety of vintage WWII aircraft. In the right seat was Bud Sittic. While Bud is new to the Liberty Foundation this year, he is also incredibly experienced with over 14,000 hours of flying time in vintage and hi-performance aircraft. He is a retired Captain with Delta Air Lines.

The news misidentified the P-40 as flying chase during the accident. I was flying our P-40, however I had departed 20 minutes prior to the B-17’s takeoff on the short flight to Indianapolis to setup for the B-17’s arrival. The aircraft flying chase was a T-6 Texan flown by owner Cullen Underwood. Cullen is one of our rated B-17 Captains and an experienced aviator tagging along as a support ship.

The takeoff of both aircraft was uneventful and proceeded on-course southeast. Prior to exiting Aurora’s airport traffic area, the B-17 crew and p***engers began investigating an acrid smell and started a turn back to the airport. Almost immediately thereafter, Cullen spotted flames coming from the left wing and reported over the radio that they were on fire.

As all pilots know, there are few emergency situations that are more critical than having an in-flight fire. While an in-flight fire is extremely rare, it can (and sometimes does) indiscriminately affect aircraft of any age or type. In-flight fires have led to the loss of not only aircraft, but often can result in catastrophic loss of life. It requires an immediate action on the flight crew, as the integrity of aircraft structure, systems and critical components are in question.

Directly below the B-17 was a farmer’s field and the decision was made to land immediately. Approximately 1 minute and 40 seconds from the radio report of the fire, the B-17 was down safely on the field. Within that 1:40 time frame, the crew shutdown and feathered the number 2 engine, activated the engine’s fire suppression system, lowered the landing gear and performed an on-speed landing. Bringing the B-17 to a quick stop, the crew and p***engers quickly and safely exited the aircraft. Overhead in the T-6, Cullen professionally coordinated and directed the firefighting equipment which was dispatched by Aurora Tower to the landing location.

Unlike the sensational photos that you have all seen of the completely burned B-17 on the news, you will see from photos taken by our crew that our Liberty Belle was undamaged by the forced landing and at the time of landing, the wing fire damage was relatively small. The crew actually unloaded bags, then had the horrible task of watching the aircraft slowly burn while waiting for the fire trucks to arrive. There were high hopes that the fire would be extinguished quickly and the damage would be repairable. Those hopes were diminished as the fire trucks deemed the field too soft to cross due to the area’s recent rainfall. So while standing by our burning B-17 and watching the fire trucks parked at the field’s edge, they sadly watched the wing fire spread to the aircraft’s fuel cells and of course, you all have seen the end result. There is no doubt that had the fire equipment been able to reach our aircraft, the fire would have been quickly extinguished and our Liberty Belle would have been repaired to continue her worthwhile mission.

Let me go on the record by thanking the flight crew for their professionalism. Their actions were nothing short of heroic and their quick thinking, actions and experience led to a “successful” outcome to this serious in-flight emergency. John and Bud (and Cullen) did a remarkable job under extreme cir***stances and performed spectacularly. While the leading news stories have repeatedly reported the “crash” of our B-17, fact is they made a successful forced landing and the aircraft was ultimately consumed by fire. Airplanes are replaceable but people are not and while the aircraft’s loss is tragic, it was a successful result.

This leads me into discussing the exceptional safety record of the Boeing B-17 and to hopefully squash the naysayers who preach we should not be flying these types of aircraft. Since we first flew the “Liberty Belle” in December of 2004, we have flown over 20,000 p***engers throughout the country and if you count our historic trip to Europe in 2008, worldwide. Of the other touring B-17s, some of which that have been touring for over 20 years, they have safely flown hundreds of thousands of people. The aircraft’s safety record is spectacular and I am certain the overall cause of our issue, which is under investigation, will not tarnish that safety record. In fact, as many of you know, other B-17 have suffered significant damage (although not as bad as ours!), only to be re-built to fly again. From a p***enger carrying standpoint, I can think of few aircraft that offer the same level of safety as the 4-engine “Flying Fortress”. As mentioned earlier, in-flight fires are extremely rare and certainly could affect any powered aircraft under certain cir***stances. I would put my children today in any of the other touring B-17s to go fly. I suggest to anyone that was thinking of doing so when a B-17 visits your area to do so without giving our loss any thought.

There is wild speculation going on as to the cause of our fire and the affect to other operators. Please let the investigation run its course and report the findings. The NTSB and FAA were quickly on the scene and we are working closely with them to aid in the investigation. As soon as we receive some additional information, we will release it via the website.

The ultimate question remains, where does the Liberty Foundation go from here? After the investigation and recovery, we will determine our options. We are still committed to the restoration and flying of World War II aircraft. Again, we appreciate the support and people offering to help get us back flying.

Please check back for updates. I will close by thanking everyone that made our tour so successful. From the first day of the B-17’s restoration, thank you for all of you who labored to get her flying over the initial restoration years and to everyone that has worked on her out on tour since. Thank you to the crewmembers, tour coordinators and volunteers who gave up weekends and countless hours to support her on the road. And finally, thank you to the p***engers, donors and media patrons that flew aboard and everyone who supported our cause. Hopefully, this will not be the end of the story, but a new beginning.

Regards,
Ray Fowler
The Liberty Foundation, Chief Pilot

Sent from my iPhone using TJJ.

 

Thanx for posting that update Sod.

Man if my hearts broken I can imagine any surviving 8th fly fly boys and how they would be feeling seeing this happen.

Glad all got out safe and all but heart breaking to see her go up in flames like that.

Won't stop me - Im STILL gonna go up in Aluminium Overcast - hopefully next year.

Oh, and **** the media.

***holes.

Rat

 

Thanks for that post, Sod. Good to get the real story.-MIKE

 

Thank you Sodbuster, I do hope there will be a Liberty Belle II

 

No problem, I just thought that I would drag that post over here the HAMB. It's very sad for what happened, but at least they were able to get everyone out of the plane & it wasn't a "media story" with other stuff.

Chris