Liberty Belle B-17 Emergency Landing Fire

The airplane is the B-17 Flying Fortress known as the "Liberty Belle." All seven people on board reportedly escaped and survived this event, without injury, but the aircraft appears to be a total loss. It made an emergency landing and burned in a cornfield at about 10 a.m., Monday morning, June 13, near Aurora Municipal Airport outside Chicago. The B-17 had departed from Aurora and soon after the pilot reported a fire on board. Several residents said they saw the plane flying low trailing smoke and flames prior to the emergency landing. The field was about five miles away from the airport.

The "Liberty Belle" was once owned by the New England Air Museum in Connecticut. The Liberty Foundation of Florida acquired the aircraft in 1992and the aircraft had been flying since 2004. The B-17 was at Aurora to participate in a Salute to Veterans over the weekend.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• liberty
• belle
• b-17
• flying
• fortress
• airport
• chicago
• june
• 13
• crash
• landing
• aurora
• airplane
• aircraft
• burn
• avweb
• glenn
• pew

[SuperDvsmith]

A REALY TRAGIC END TO A WAR BIRD.

I FEEL FOR YOU BECAUSE, I WOULDEN'T WANT TIHS HAPPERNING TO THE BATLE OF BRITEN LANCASTER.

[himmler251]

what a tragic loss

[Treetop64]

I got to fly in this very aircraft a couple years ago when it visited Fresno. It was an immaculately well-kept airplane; it looked brand-new. I was very saddened to hear of its loss, but am happy that everyone got out unhurt.

[MongooseXXL]

By the way, 2 all Fortress-haters: during bombings of Britain 40000 persons have been killed, but German bombers Ju-87 and He-111 displayed at Hendon RAF Museum (last fully operational Tiger tank is in Britain too, heh).

[MongooseXXL]

I heard that such kind of fire is most dangerous to Fortresses. But here the citation from Liberty Foundation site: The crew actually unloaded bags, then had the horrible task of watching the aircraft slowly burn while waiting for the fire trucks to arrive. “Horrible task of watching” instead of attempt to use two handy extinguishers, that's what i meant. And yes, I wouldn't  name it “good job”. They have successfully saved own lives but after that haven't tried to rescue Belle.

[FiveCentsPlease]

@MongooseXXL

They emptied the fire suppression system from the engine nacelle, but the fire was a fuel fire further back in inside the wing near the fuel pumps. Once the fire got to the fuel tanks it grew rapidly. They did a good job getting in back on the ground, but the fire service could not access the aircraft quickly.

[MongooseXXL]

Guys, explain me one thing, please. B-17 has fire extinguishers and fire-prevention partitions. Seven persons onboard. What they there did, simply admired fire?

[eaterofclams]

@TheCraftedMine

...life is simple when you are nine years old..

[MEDIC1275]

Sad ending to a beautiful aircraft.

[MrP61guy]

@390bullitt1968 I'm sorry for your family and friends but if it wasn't for the bomber a monster of a man would have ruined the world those bombers saved many live. And the innocent people kill should be honored

[2008FORDF450V8]

R.I P

[HarveysLS11]

This Crash is one of the sadest,This was an so Wonderful Airplane

R.i.p. Liberty Belle

;`(