World War II era B-17 crashes in Connecticut, killing at least five people

A vintage B-17 Flying Fortress crashed during an airshow at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, killing at least five people, according to the Hartford Courant.

What are the details?

The B-17 reportedly crashed into a building while trying to land shortly after takeoff. It then caught fire, which was exacerbated by the fuel it carried.

While at least five people died in the crash, the Courant reported, the police have yet to give an official number. Authorities are also still working to determine the identities of both the dead and the survivors.

"There were fatalities," State Police Commissioner James Rovella said, according to NBC News. "Victims are very difficult to identify, we don't want to make a mistake."

In a press briefing, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said that Rovella had informed him that the situation "looks pretty bad." The NTSB is investigating to try to determine the cause of the crash.

At the time of the crash, the plane was carrying 10 passengers, two pilots, and an attendant. Someone on the ground was also reportedly injured in the crash. At least six of these ended up at Hartford hospital, and three of these were in critical condition. The other three had minor or moderate injuries.

In a tweet, the Bradley International Airport confirmed the crash, saying that it would "issue further updates as information becomes available."

The plane, dubbed "Nine-O-Nine" was owned by the Collings Foundation. It was one of only 39 B-17s still in the United States, only 18 of which (including the Nine-O-Nine) were currently registered to fly. While it never saw combat, the Nine-O-Nine was used as a transport and to put out forest fires.