Fri, Jun 17, 2011
Says The Airplane Might Have Been Saved But For The Muddy
Field
In an account on the Liberty Foundations website, chief pilot
Ray Fowler says the organizations B-17 would have likely only
suffered minimal damage from Monday's engine fire if local fire
crews had been able to get across the muddy field and extinguish
the flames.
File Photo
Fowler says that the a scheduled 25-hour inspection had been
completed on the airplane on Saturday, and though the weather was
below minimums for passenger flights, they did fly for training and
proficiency. Other maintenance issues arose after that flight, so
Sunday's flying schedule was cancelled to make repairs.
Capt. John Hess was flying left seat in the B-17 on Monday, and
Bud Dittic was in the right seat. Both have over 14,000 hours
flying time in their logbooks, with deep experience in vintage WWII
aircraft.
The flames were first spotted by Cullen Underwood, who was
flying as chase plane in his T-6. A photograph on the website shows
a very-much-intact Liberty Belle on the ground in the field, with
fire coming from the No. 2 engine which is shielded by the
fuselage. Fowler says the crew had time to shut down and feather
the engine, and made an "on-speed" landing in the field. Fowler
says the crew was able to unload baggage from the aircraft as
Underwood directed firefighters to the landing site from the T-6.
But the local responders said the field was too muddy and soft to
cross, and the crew stood by and watched a small fire become larger
and then eventually reach the fuel cells with the inevitable
result.
File Photo
Fowler says that, had the firefighters been able to get to the
plane, it in all likelihood would have lived to fly another
day.
Fowler also has some less-than-flattering things to say about
the way the non-aviation media reported the accident. He praised
the professionalism of the crew of the B-17 as well as Mr.
Underwood for making sure all were safe following the emergency
landing, and does not close the door on another B-17 someday flying
for the Liberty Foundation.
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