NTSB Factual Report B-17G Crash 'Nine-O-Nine' Part I -16 Dec 2020

B-17 'Nine-O-Nine' Blancolirio Playlist:

NTSB Factual Report:

Theme:
"Weightless"

Patreon: (AD FREE Content)

PayPal:

[CommomsenseSmith]

I went on the 909 two weeks before it crashed with my 4 year old to start his new tradition it was one of my favorite planes I had been inside that plane about 20 times. It was like loosing an old friend. It gave me my first sense of what my grandfather witnessed one D-Day.

[bcgrittner]

The 9-0-9 was at St. Paul, MN airport August 2007 along with its companion B-24 and B-25. I did not have my video camera with me. All three took off right over me. That was a goose bump moment. The loss of the 9-0-9 and the lives that were lost gives me that pit in the stomach feeling. Good job, Juan.

[jochentreitel]

Should you ever stop flying ahead of when it's time to (legally) you will definitely find a large audience that will appreciate this professionalism of how to present this kind of content and pay for it. Thank you for your time and dedication!

[nathangreer]

I flew on that B-17. Such a fantastic experience. RIP

[tomedgar]

Juan,
I had the honor of working with a B17 pilot(Arnold Moselle)in the 80s before he retired. Kept in touch with him until he passed. He told a story of coming back across the English Channel on one engine and barely clearing the cliffs after throwing everything overboard that they could to reduce weight. I wasn’t a pilot at the time and didn’t ask about any details. Fuel was probably down to nothing and it could have been an inboard engine which would create less yaw. He also had lots of altitude to trade for speed on the return trip. Did the engines create more thrust due to higher octane fuel? Very humble person, not one to exaggerate. I didn’t believe him at the time but he told me that I would fly someday.

[joethedutchman]

I also flew on a B-17G several years ago. I sat in the nose cone seat during taxiing and take-off. No safety instructions were given before or during the flight...the whole flight was exhilarating!!!

[wrdguy]

Thank you, JB. I did a report on the Flying Fortress in grade school(in the '70s), and since then, never lost my affinity for it. I was fortunate enough to stand next to a real WWII pilot at Wright Patt museum and stare at their specimen for a time, as he reminisced about some of his missions. That kind of experience will leave a mark on you, so your update is all the more meaningful. Hopefully, there will be a way for this kind of preservation of our history to continue, with a lower exposure to risk. Like so many other incidents, this one seems to have been the culmination (or confluence) of many failures at many levels. The old man was wearing too many hats, for one thing, and while no one on Earth was more qualified, he must have had one hell of an argument going on in his head. The head of the organization, the head mechanic, and the head pilot...all one man. In the absence of a meaningful safety authority, he was wearing that hat, too.

[paulschannel]

I live in South Alabama. My cousin, (retired Capt with Alaskan Airlines), was also flying the B-17 from another group in Connecticut at the same time. They were about 40 miles from this crash. I heard about the crash at my airport with in an hour or so. I called my cousin to see if this crash was his plane/him. He immediately answered his phone with "I'm ok." He said they were also gathering information to see what had happened. This is all so sad.... the people lost, lives changed forever and of course a beautiful plane. I rode with my cousin's group with him flying, in Dothan, AL a few years back. Not simply a plane ride but a true flight experience.

[Jasonhb]

I'm an AMT and these videos teach me a great deal about flight dynamics/physics that you just don't get on the ground. I hope to earn my license soon and these videos are incredibly valuable. Thank you and please continue making these videos.

[Koldeman]

There's something really interesting about hearing a knowledgeable person describe how things work and go wrong. I was on the edge of my seat the whole vid. Thank you for this. RIP ol' 909er & all souls who were lost.

[eliotmansfield]

looking forward to next part - came here two years ago for the orville dam - didn’t leave.

[thommykent]

Excellent commentary as always! I am saddened by this crews and passengers loss of life. Closing in on 65 years old and retiring from airline flying a couple years ago and observing some ( not all ) older pilots struggle. I believe flying a complicated aircraft as a B-17 ( in particular when an engine fails ) at age 75 ( as was this Captain ) is not a desirable situation. I absolutely mean no disrespect.

[mattshaffer]

Thank you Mr. Brown. My wife and (at the time) 5 year old daughter toured the 909 and Witchcraft (B24) on the ground last Summer. It was really cool though the babe was afraid the plane would take off! As a life long aviation history enthusiast and A&P this accident breaks my heart. I really appreciate your detailed information. Thanks again.

[pilotdane]

I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for part II.

[GTGTO-subp]

I knew Mac and considered him a good friend from my time as a tour coordinator at KILG New Castle/Wilmington, DE for the Collings Foundation. IIRC, the last Collings tour was at KILG in 2018. I was told Mac had the most time flying a B-17 of anyone alive at that time, 10/2019, and even those pilots that flew B-17s during WWII. 7500+ hours. He was a quite modest man that lived to fly 9O9. Also, an ex-airline pilot. I've had several rides in 9O9 over the years without any problem, with him as the pilot-in-charge. I consider myself lucky in that respect and lucky to have known him and other crew members. RIP Mac, and those that were with you that day too. I still can't believe it happened.
BTW, there are only 3 exit points in an emergency. The rear side door, the bombay doors if and only if they are open, and the hatch in the navigator/ bombardier compartment up front. The ball turret operator is by himself and gets out on his own if airborne. Rear gunner can only get out on his own thru the hatch in his compartment. And no, he cannot climb over the tailwheel when it's retracted. It's impossible as I tried to do it and failed.

[richarderamirez]

My mom's younger brother was a radio operator in WWII. He was in the 91st bomb group which was the same group 909 was in. A cousin of mine went to the archives in Maryland and found old action reports of his missions. Found out he had flown a few missions on 909 in 1944. The B17 he flew most of his missions was the Mary Lou piloted by 2nd Lt. John Pullen. There are great photos of those old war birds on the 91st website. My cousin got to fly on 909 in 2004 when it was in Livermore, CA. It's a shame for the waste of an aircraft due to neglected maintanance.

[wcheswick]

I rode in 909 down the Hudson. Had the Statue of Liberty in the Norden sights. Flew with my father, who was a navigator for 29 missions on the 17G. Really sad about this.

[ronmoore]

I flew on a B-17 flight in 2017. Now that I think about it we were not given an emergency exit briefing either. Maybe that briefing should be required in the future. I didn't have a problem with the seat belt because I was an Army helicopter crew chief years ago. I did notice a couple of the other passengers looked confused and needed help to fasten the belt. Didn't seem important at the time but moving forward should be addressed as a lesson learned. Once again a good job done by you sir.

[christielindsay]

A highlight of my son Patrick's life was flying on this amazing plane. He died in 2020 but the go pro footage he took of his flight is a treasured memory for me. He was so impressed by the focus of the pilots.

[jimj]

With your accuracy and detail I feel like I am on that flight ! Thanks Juan !!