World War II B-17 bomber makes emergency landing in Illinois cornfield, engulfed in flames
6/13/2011OSWEGO, Ill. — The Federal Aviation Administration says a World War II B-17 bomber apparently made an emergency landing in a cornfield outside Chicago before it was consumed by fire.
Spokesman Elizabeth Isham Cory says the FAA believes the seven people on board the plane escaped uninjured. She says the plane departed the Aurora Municipal Airport on Monday morning and the accident happened immediately after takeoff.
The National Transportation Safety Board is now investigating the incident.
Firefighters from Oswego, Sugar Grove and Plainfield responded to the crash. Fire officials said they were having difficulty accessing the crash because of wet fields.
The aircraft was made in 1944 and is known as the "Flying Fortress." Authorities say it is registered to the Liberty Foundation in Miami.