Lawsuit filed over World War II-era plane crash at Bradley International

HARTFORD — Passengers involved in last year’s crash of a B-17 bomber at Bradley International Airport have filed a lawsuit in state court, alleging the incident “was the result of the negligence, recklessness and callous indifference” of the Collings Foundation, which owned and operated the plane.

The vintage B-17 Flying Fortress crashed at Bradley Oct. 2, 2019, after attempting to circle back and land shortly into the flight, killing seven people and injuring six others.

In the lawsuit, representatives of three of those killed — Robert Riddell, 59, of East Granby; James Roberts, 48, of Ludlow, Mass.; and Robert Rubner, 64, of Tolland — and five of those injured seek damages from the Collings Foundation.

According to the suit, the Collings Foundation failed to operate the plane in accordance with state law and restrictions by the Federal Aviation Administration, which granted a waiver allowing the plane to carry passengers.

Among other alleged violations, passengers were required to sit on the floor of the aircraft, without safety belts or seats, and were not told how to exit the plane in case of emergency, the complaint claims.

The plane also allegedly was carrying “steel wheel chocks” as cargo, also a violation of FAA regulations, which allegedly “became deadly projectiles” during the crash.

The complaint also alleges that the B-17 G was improperly maintained and not appropriately tested.

“The crash was the result of the negligence, recklessness and callous disregard of The Collings Foundation and its agents, trustees, servants and/or employees that resulted in the horrific death of five passengers and serious and permanent bodily harm and emotional injury to five other passengers,” said William Ronalter, Mark

Ostrowski and James Bergenn, attorneys with Shipman & Goodwin, in the complaint.

Among other requests, the plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, compensatory damages, and discovery about all of the assets of the Collings Foundation.

Officials with the Collings Foundation said in a statement that they were prohibited from commenting on the lawsuit.

“In order to obtain technical experience and expertise, the National Transportation Safety Board made The Collings Foundation

a party to the pending accident investigation,” said Hunter Chaney, director of marketing, in a statement. “In that role, the Foundation is prohibited, both by the Certification of Party Representative and by federal regulations, from commenting on this matter and disseminating information that is the subject of this investigation.”

The National Transportation Safety Bureau has released a preliminary report on the crash, but not yet shared the final results of its investigation.

william.lambert@ hearstmediact.com

Associated Press In this Oct. 3, 2019, file image taken from video released by the National Transportation Safety Board, the wreckage of a World War II-era B-17 bomber plane that crashed Oct. 2, 2019, remains on the tarmac at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks. The plane crashed and burned after experiencing mechanical trouble on takeoff.