Florida Pilot Presumed Dead In Connecticut Plane Crash

JACKSONVILLE, FL — A Jacksonville man is presumed to have died in a Connecticut plane crash that killed seven people and injured six others, authorities said Thursday. Michael Foster, 71, was the co-pilot of the World War II bomber that crashed at Bradley International Airport on Wednesday morning as it tried to return to the airfield minutes after takeoff. Three people on the ground also were hurt.

Foster and five others are all listed by authorities as presumed dead, including the plane's pilot, Ernest McCauley, 75, of Long Beach, California.

State police confirmed 13 people were aboard the plane — 10 passengers and three crew members. The plane hit a maintenance building when the pilot tried to land after the craft experienced undisclosed problems, authorities said. One person was in the building that was struck. Two other people on the ground, including a firefighter, were also injured. The victims were taken to three local hospitals.

National Transportation Safety Board officials said they will remain at Bradley Airport for several days as part of their investigation. A preliminary report could be released within 10 days but a final report of the investigation may take a year to 18 months to complete.

SEE ALSO: 7 Killed In WWII Plane Crash At Bradley Airport

The plane took off from Bradley Airport at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday from runway 6 but experienced problems within a few minutes and the pilot was not able to gain altitude, officials said. The pilot tried to circle back and return to the runway but lost control and struck the de-icing building, officials said.

The World War II B-17G Flying Fortress heavy bomber, owned by the Collings Foundation of Stow, Massachusetts, was at Bradley as part of its Wings of Freedom Tour, according to the foundation's Facebook page.

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine "heavy bomber" developed in the 1930s and was among the most significant bombers in the World War II campaign against the Nazis. There are only 18 of the planes left in operation.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont vowed investigators would "get to the bottom" of what caused the crash.