If you haven't already figured it out, Wednesday around 10 AM at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, B-17G "Nine-O-Nine" crashed. The incident was most likely caused by engine failure, as the plane came up short of the runway, and veered into a building containing winter equipment for the airport. The crash killed 7 people and injured more, and completely destroyed most of the bomber.

A bit of information. Her first mission was on December 15, 1943. By April 1945 she had flown 140 missions without a mission abort, which according to Airplanes of the Past “is believed to be the Eighth Air Force record for most missions.” Nine-O-Nine also never lost a crewman as a casualty. The bomber made eighteen trips to Berlin, flew 1,129 hours, and dropped 2,810 tons of bombs. This aircraft was dismantled after the war.

The second Nine was built by Douglas in California and entered service USAAF in April 1945. This plane then was converted to an SB-17G in Puerto Rico, and then served as a specimen to test nuclear effects on an aircraft. Then it served as a fire fighter. In 1986, the Collings Foundation bought the plane, and restored it to the original wartime "Nine-O-Nine".

In August 1987, "Nine-O-Nine" crashed at an airshow landing, resulting in the underside and nose being heavily damaged. The plane was restored for a third time, stopping at over 1,200 locations before the October 2, 2019 accident, where tragically seven people lost their lives, and when the famous "Nine-O-Nine" finally was laid to rest.