Federal investigators have yet to say what exactly caused the crash of a B-17 vintage plane at Bradley International Airport earlier this month, but a new report released Tuesday details the pilot’s account of an engine issue moments before impact.
The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on the crash of the World War II-era plane on Oct. 2. The board said that the cause of the crash will only be revealed upon the completion of the investigation.
But the report does detail facts uncovered thus far, including the pilot’s communication that one of the plane’s four engines had a “rough mag” on it. The pilot , Edward McCauley, 75 of Long Beach, Calif., asked if he could return to the airport just a few minutes after the B-17 took off at 9:50 a.m., when it was 500 feet above ground level near runway 6 at Bradley. ATC reportedly approved the pilot’s request.