2 pilots among 7 killed in B-17 crash in Connecticut

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — The two pilots of a B-17 bomber that crashed at a Connecticut airport were among seven people killed in the fiery wreck, officials said Thursday.

The pilot was Ernest McCauley, 75, of Long Beach, California, and the co-pilot was Michael Foster, 71, of Jacksonville, Florida, according to the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. The flight engineer Mitchell Melton, 34, of Dalhart, Texas, survived with injuries.

The plane crashed and burned after experiencing mechanical trouble on takeoff Wednesday morning from Bradley International Airport. Some of the survivors were critically injured.

>> At least 7 dead in vintage plane crash in Connecticut, officials say

Also among those killed was Gary Mazzone, 60, of East Windsor, who was a history and military buff, according to his son, Daniel Mazzone. He didn’t know of his father’s plans to ride the B-17, he said, but knew why he would be interested.

“I think he just wanted to see what it was like to be in the back of a B-17,” Daniel Mazzone said. “He loved World War II. He loved people who served this country in any capacity.”

Mazzone, a father of three children and two stepdaughters, retired in January as a prosecutor’s office inspector and previously was a Vernon police officer for 22 years.

“We’re all very sad ... and we’re very sad for his family,” Chief State’s Attorney Kevin Kane said. “He was a good investigator. He was a good inspector. And he was a very good and helpful colleague.”

The wife of Robert Riddell, an insurance company analyst from East Granby, Connecticut, said in a Facebook post that her husband was among those killed. Robert Riddell had posted a photo from inside the plane just before takeoff.

“Words cannot express how devastated I am. Rob was the best person I’ve ever known. ... I will miss him beyond words can ever express. He loved his children more than anyone could know and the new grandson was the apple of his eye,” Debra Riddell wrote.

The other passengers killed in the flight were James Roberts, 48, of Ludlow, Massachusetts; David Broderick, 56, of West Springfield, Massachusetts; and Robert Rubner, 64, of Tolland, Connecticut.

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Five other passengers on the plane were injured along with Andrew Sullivan, 28, an airport employee who was on the ground near the site of the accident.

Bridgeport Hospital officials said that one survivor who arrived in serious condition was upgraded Thursday to fair condition, and that two others there were still in fair condition. All three suffered burns and broken bones.

One patient injured in the crash remained at Hartford Hospital, officials said.

An airman with the Connecticut National Guard who was aboard a B-17 bomber that crashed at an airport helped other passengers escape the flames by using his fire-resistant gloves to open a hatch, officials said Thursday.

The airman has training in handling emergencies on aircraft and had brought his military-issued gloves on the flight, according to the Guard. The airman was treated at a hospital and has been recovering at home. His name was not released.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this tragic accident,” said Maj. Gen. Francis Evon, adjutant general of the Connecticut National Guard.

The retired, civilian-registered plane was associated with the Collings Foundation, an educational group that brought its Wings of Freedom vintage aircraft display to the airport this week, officials said.

The vintage bomber - also known as a Flying Fortress, one of the most celebrated Allied planes of World War II - was used to take history buffs and aircraft enthusiasts on short flights, during which they could get up and walk around the loud and windy interior.

In light of the crash, the Barnstable Municipal Airport received the following statement from the Experimental Aircraft Association regarding their visit to Hyannis this weekend:

Out of respect for our colleagues at the Collings Foundation and the tragic B-17 accident on Wednesday, EAA's B-17 tour will pause from passenger flights this weekend in Hyannis, Massachusetts. To honor our commitment to the EAA chapter that has planned our arrival there this weekend, we will take the aircraft to that community for display and ground tours, enabling us to tell the story of the heroic crews that flew these airplanes 75 years ago to preserve the freedoms we enjoy today. We apologize for any inconvenience, but ask that we take a moment to not only remember those who flew the airplane in wartime, but those groups dedicated to preserving this living history and bringing it to people throughout our nation today

The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to investigate.

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Associated Press