The Collings Foundation has settled legal claims involving eight of the 10 passengers who were aboard its B-17 Nine-0-Nine when it crashed at Hartford’s Bradley International Airport on Oct. 2, 2019. Two other passengers reached a deal in 2021. Terms of the settlement, which was mediated by a retired judge, will not be made public, but lawyers for both sides released a joint statement to NBC. “While it is our sincere hope that this resolution brings peace and closure to those affected, The Collings Foundation deeply regrets the injuries and losses suffered by the passengers and their families that day,” the statement read.
The NTSB said in its final report the aircraft lost partial power in two engines on takeoff for a fundraising flight and the pilot headed back to the field. The board faulted the pilot for lowering the landing gear prematurely, causing drag that resulted in the plane losing altitude and clipping approach lights before hitting the ground before the runway and colliding with some unoccupied vehicles. It caught fire after coming to rest in a tank farm. The NTSB also rapped the foundation for lax maintenance practices and dysfunctional safety management system.
