FAA grounds future "Wings of Freedom" flights, cites lack of
training, maintenance prior to fatal B-17 crash at Bradley
The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday announced a
Massachusetts foundation can no longer book passengers for flights on historic
World War II-era aircraft after investigators found several safety violations
while investigating the crash last fall of a B-17 bomber at Bradley
International Airport that killed seven people.
In a letter to the Collings Foundation, Robert C. Carty, the deputy
executive director of the FAA's Flight Standards Service, notified the
foundation that the FAA is immediately rescinding the waiver that allowed them
to charter flights on vintage aircraft as part of its "Wings of Freedom"
tour.
"The FAA has determined through its ongoing investigation that
Collings has not been operating in compliance with the conditions and
limitations of the (exemption) issued to Collings," the letter states. "In
addition, the FAA continues to gather facts that indicate Collings lacked a
commitment to safety, insofar as Collings did not take seriously its safety
management system program."
To book passengers on vintage aircraft, the company needed to reapply
for an FAA exception every two years. The most recent exemption was granted in
March 2018. In revoking that waiver, the FAA also denied the foundation's
request for a renewal that was submitted in August prior to the Oct. 2 fatal
crash, and a revised application filed afterward in November.
The crash of the B-17 bomber at Bradley killed seven, including the
two pilots, and injured six others. The crash came moments after the plane
developed engine problems just after takeoff and sought to make an emergency
landing.
Those who died were James Roberts, 48, of Ludlow; David Broderick,
56, of West Springfield; Gary Mazzone, 66, of Broad Brook, Connecticut; Robert
Riddell, 59, of East Granby, Connecticut; Robert Rubner, 64, of Tolland,
Connecticut; Ernest McCauley, 75, of Long Beach, California, who was the pilot
and Michael Foster, 71, of Jacksonville, Florida, who was the co-pilot. Among
those injured included a South Hadley man and a couple from Suffield,
Connecticut.
It veered off the runway and struck a truck and a de-icing tank, and
then burst into flames. The plane was a total loss.
Since the crash, the foundation has placed the Wings of Freedom tour
on hiatus.
Among the shortcomings cited in the letter, it notes:
The crew chief on the flight did not have sufficient training in the
aircraft's systems or safety protocols. The crew chief is supposed to assist the
flight crew with pre-flight checklists and preparations for flight, the handling
of emergencies, and safety procedures. Records indicate the crew chief on board
during the crash has no formal training. During an interview, the chief
described receiving only "on the job training."
Collings did not comply with a requirement to continuously operate a
safety and risk management program that included daily maintenance and
inspection of systems to identify, minimize or eliminate potential mechanical
issues. There were no records of periodic audits of systems on the aircraft.
Also the pilot was also the director of maintenance. "This indicates Collings
lacked a safety culture when operating the B-17G."
Inspection of engines 3 and 4 showed existing magneto and ignition
failures, and multiple sparkplugs that needed cleaning and had improper
electrode gaps. "As a result of these findings and other information, the FAA
questions whether the engines were inspected adequately and in accordance with
applicable maintenance requirements."
God kommentar:
God kommentar:
The Collings Foundation did not return calls for comment.
What we saw here was a FOUR engine airplane being incapable of a simple return to airport.
Even the great pilots could not make the relatively simple return when they had an engine problem.
it’s NOT maintenance, it’s 1930’s tech and planes designed only to last 30 hours…