Massachusetts-based nonprofit operates vintage plane that crashed in CT

The vintage plane that crashed in Connecticut, killing seven people, had local ties.

The Collings Foundation based in Hudson, Massachusetts is the organization that owns the aircraft. The plane was in Worcester just two weeks ago and also made stops in Beverly and Plymouth last month as a part of the Wings of Freedom tour put on by the organization which gives people the chance to see the vintage planes and fly in them.

Representatives with the Collings Foundation have not come out to speak to the media but released a statement saying:

<span class="wsc-grammar-problem" data-grammar-phrase="">"</span>Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were on that <span class="wsc-grammar-problem" data-grammar-phrase="flight and" data-grammar-rule="COMMA_COMPOUND_SENTENCE" data-wsc-lang="en_US">flight and</span> we will be forever grateful to the heroic efforts of the first responders at Bradley.

The Collings Foundation flight team is fully cooperating with officials to determine the cause of the crash of the B-16 flying fortress.<span class="wsc-grammar-problem" data-grammar-phrase="">"</span>

At this point, it's unclear if any Collings Foundation employees were killed in the crash. Authorities have not yet identified the five people who died.

The Collings Foundation is a nonprofit that was founded 40 years ago by the Collings family. Their mission is to educate people about transportation-related history. Their Wings of Freedom tour is an annual event that makes stops all across the nation.

However, this isn't the first time the plane has crashed. The same plane crashed 32 years ago while performing at an airshow in western Pennsylvania. There were some injuries, but no fatalities.

>> MORE: At least 5 dead in vintage plane crash in Connecticut, officials say

"I’m just devastated," said Lynn Ingram. "It was unbelievable to see the news because I was just on it two weeks ago."

Ingram and her husband paid $450 each to fly in the B-17 when it stopped in Plymouth in August.

"It was just amazing because you had such a sense of history," said Ingram, who said the experience had special significance for her. "I was in civil air patrol as a cadet and I flew and it’s just you know it meant so much to me to be able to go into something that you know my father and other people of his generation were in World War II."

The causer of the crash remains unknown at this time. Boston 25 News has reached out to the Collings Foundation with some questions but has not heard back yet.

At this time, all we know is the pilot had reported some engine trouble just before the plane went down.

Cox Media Group