Vintage B-17 bomber from World War II crashes and catches fire outside Chicago.

[flyurway]

Well done albeit heartbreaking video. I have pix of this plane when it was here in Geneseo a couple years ago, as I recall, it was a beautiful restoration. I'm still grateful, however, that many of these are still kept flying so that those of us generations past can still marvel at these awesome machines and see them "do their thing". My father flew 28 missions on -17's late in the war so it's close to me.

[MrAIRSHOWFAN100]

Oh My GOD

[Mikethekiller7]

I mean its cool that they fly them but if it vintage...why take the chance you know?

[FiveCentsPlease]

@Mikethekiller7

See the museum fire for the Musee de l'Air, which destroyed a lot of aircraft kept safely on the ground.

[tahoevic]

Old everything, a car resoration is one thing, a flying object, not a matter of if, but when will it crash

[CessnaGFE]

this is the kind of video where you don't know wich is the good option: thumbs up, or thumbs down...

[lunhil12]

I'd rather have had a chance to see it in a museum than burning on the ground, very sad.

[19thSFGA]

Poor maintenance very sad as long as warbirds are flown they will continue to crash untill no more are left.Its a shame one of the money fat cats who think they own our history should pony up the moey to build some from scratch and let there be repro's to fly at airshows.These planes are national treasures and are worth way to much to continue to allow these to be crashed so someone can feel important.Be real simple for the FAA to pull airworthyness cirtificates and ground them forever.

[liOVERLOADil]

@19thSFGA Those "Fat cats" are keeping these aircraft alive genius! If it weren't for them, they'd be rotting away in some aircraft graveyard. Yeah, the alternative is a lot better...

[19thSFGA]

@liOVERLOADil Shut up asshole after seeing your page your some kind of fucking pedophile Where did you go to school Penn State?Your kind should be banned from the internet.

[liOVERLOADil]

@19thSFGA Can't refute my logic so you attack my YouTube account based on... pedophilia? Where?? How do you come to this Penn State conclusion?? You know what, I just looked at YOUR page and you've uploaded bestiality, and pro-terrorist video's!!! ...lying is fun, isn't it.

[cdawg4391]

@liOVERLOADil Many B-17s are serving "duty" as "gate guards" - get them out of that role and put 'em in the air! These great aircraft are flown to airshows so that people like myself who were not alive during WWII can appreciate the men and machines that helped defend freedom. I've had the awesome chance to see these things fly and I am in awe every time I see one of these (and other WWII aircraft) take off in person. Just the wine of the brakes as it taxis by is awesome.

[liOVERLOADil]

@cdawg4391 The military own the aircraft you're talking about and they have served their purpose. What sense would it make, financially, to bring an old aircraft back into the air? Besides, there are plenty of rich aviation enthusiasts that do just that.

[cdawg4391]

@liOVERLOADil No financial sense for the military, if that's what you mean. I meant that it'd be great for an aviation enthusiast or museum to acquire these aircraft and restore them to flying condition so that they can be exhibited throughout the country.

[liOVERLOADil]

@cdawg4391 People already do this... the owner of the aircraft in this video for instance.

[FiveCentsPlease]

@liOVERLOADil

The military doesn't have a good track record of caring for vintage aircraft that they mount on poles as gate guardians or outdoor static display. Many of these aircraft are severely corroded. Accurate fiberglass replicas have been made for some types and these can be used for outdoor display, while authentic aircraft can go to indoor museum display or serve as flying examples.

[liOVERLOADil]

@FiveCentsPlease First off, why should it be important for the military to care so much for static displays? Second, these static displays have regular maintenance intervals like flying aircraft do.

[FiveCentsPlease]

@liOVERLOADil

My point is that historically, static displays of rare types have not been cared for by the military as well as they could have been. It should get the best care if it's an very rare type or combat veteran. Private museums can keep them indoors where they do not suffer the affects of moisture. Over the decades, there has been plenty of photo evidence of severe corrosion on outdoor displays and you can research this for more info.

[smacdiesel]

Soon these birds will stop flying.



[jacobwolf124]

Damn I almost want to cry.

[RaptorDiablo]

Damn jerrys are in chicago too!

[datzfast]

aviation fuel melting an airplane? well i guess that 911 molten airplane theory is real

[ClearSkyDay]

@datzfast I hear your sarcasm, but that was JET fuel. If this had been jet fuel here, the nearest building would have collapsed instantly!

[bestshowontheweb]

Common scene somewhere in Germany circa 1942

[wjp255]

So sad.

[jcsv12345]

After all it's gone through, it's taken down by an engine fire.

[warhawk40]

@jcsv12345 I remember being in Kissimmee FL in the late 90s and I saw this aircraft being restored at the warbird museum down there.

[bodyguard108]

After the fire, the pilot landed the plane perfectly. Unfortunately, the fire crews had trouble getting to the plane because of muddy fields- so the plane was lost.

[PhrynosomaTexas]

God damned sad. Fuck. There was only about a dozen or a little more of them left flying in the world a few years back anyway....Gear is deployed and doesn't look like a "crash" but a crash landing, but they appear to have rolled to a stop and had an onboard fire they couldn't put out. Poor old gal just sat there and burned to the ground but could have been saved if they had gotten to her earlier.

[ajs3939]

hope the pilots got out

[shadowhunter388]

The engine is on fire? Why are they so close to this, Aren't they worried it could blow up?

[TexasGunster]

@shadowhunter388 the engines were not on fire there was a fire inside the plane

[machone7I]

@shadowhunter388 If it was going to blow up, it would've already done it. This was a while after the crash.

[TexasGunster]

@Akirameerkat its a B-17 dumbass not a B-29

[Akirameerkat]

@TexasGunster I know its a B-17, but I typed 29 by mistake asshole.

[TexasGunster]

@Akirameerkat my apologies i was mad at something when i typed this so again my apologies

[Akirameerkat]

@TexasGunster its okay, I am sorry I called you an asshole, I was upset at the cooment you typed, and I thought you were one of those people that jumps you because you make a tiny mistake.

[Akirameerkat]

@TexasGunster please excuse me  that I spelled comment, because I typed it too fast

[ajs3939]

@TexasGunster not everyone is a plane expert dont be so rude

[kobi97]

PENALTY TO THIS DA SHIT, THESE STUPID SHOWS THE AIR IN PLACE TO FLY TO THESE RELICS, WHICH SHOULD BE RESTING IN A MUSEUM, in recognition of his years of service, historical value and memory, you should mature a bit, SEE YOU HAVE CAUSED, and what is from 90 until today, has already lost 5 Spitfires, 2 B-24S, 7 ME-109s and 11 P-51 MUSTANG IS A PITY!, NO WEAR MORE MACHINES ARE A POOR! SHOW NEW ALTERNATIVES THAT DO NOT RETURN TO CAUSE THESE REALLY SAD BROKEN!

[CWEX73]

The other main issue was all the rain of late. That prevented them from getting the larger equipment out to the plane, they had to use smaller and lighter trucks that would not sink into the mud.

[donkboys]

Come on guys, the fire response is just there to put out what's left of a grand old lady.. You expect the local fire department to be equipped with foam ??? Give me a break !!!

[CWEX73]

Squirt guns???..Hardly. They had alot of equipment on the scene out there. The plane was a total loss before they got there. Sad that she's gone now.

[bigman55434]

Nice fire response. What did they bring, squirt guns to put out the fire? SAVE THE ENGINES!!!

[dagger48]

sad to lose one of the few left. But where was the FOAM in the fire line? Foam would have put that fire out a lot faster and safer than just water...

[denverfan97]

the eery thing is... i live in Oswego and was practicing at marching band and saw the exact same plane fly overhead about 10 minutes before the smoke billowed out into the sky... Scary shit