Update: B-17 ‘Liberty Belle’ burns in IL, all on board survive

(Christopher Boffoli’s video from WSB ‘Liberty Belle’ tour story in 2009)
Thanks to Stephanie for the tip on this story: The restored B-17 known as “Liberty Belle” crashed in Illinois this morning, with all 7 people on board surviving. It was featured here two years ago, when it gave tours from Boeing Field, and WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli went along on one. The Chicago Tribune has details and photos from today’s crash.

7:50 AM TUESDAY: That same link has new photos and information today, bearing out what a commenter notes below – “Liberty Belle” made an emergency landing, everyone got out, and then fire spread through the restored plane.

RobertSeattle June 13, 2011 (3:00 pm)

To those with fading memories (like me!) this is not the same plane or type of plane that “landed” near Salty’s a few years ago.

http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/NTSB-releases-report-on-Stratoliner-crash-1107986.php

JunctionMonkey June 13, 2011 (3:40 pm)

RobertSeattle,

Related, but not the same type by any means. The “Liberty Belle” was a restored WWII B-17 bomber. The “Stratoliner” was a commercial version of the B-17 designed for commercial passenger service. Incidently, the “Liberty Belle” is NOT the B-17 flying here over the Memorial Day weekend. That plane is the “Aluminum Overcast”, and it is also a resored B-17.

Tracy White June 13, 2011 (7:20 pm)

Liberty Belle was here back in April of this year.

NYJack June 13, 2011 (7:56 pm)

Actually Robert is incorrect. The B-17 in the attached video is the Liberty Belle. All you had to do was look at the last 4 of the tail number “7849” to know it was. Sorry. Aluminum Overcast’s tail colors are red, not yellow.

WSB June 13, 2011 (8:18 pm)

I think you guys are all misinterpreting each other! Robert, in my interpretation, was just saying “in case anybody wondered, it’s not the same exact type of plane that went down off Salty’s years ago” – which as the link he kindly provided notes, was a Stratoliner. Then JM pointed out the two are related. Nobody said that one was the Aluminum Overcast OR that the one that crashed today OR the one featured in Christopher’s video was the A/O – which by the way yet another WSB’er DID photograph as it flew over WS last month (I’ll add the link when I get a sec). So to recap: Liberty Belle crashed in Illinois today. It had been touring. We had a story about it when it was in this area two years ago. Tracy W says it was here this spring. Aluminum Overcast was here this spring too. But pre-emptively, Robert is saying, don’t confuse it with the notorious crash off West Seattle, which was a different type of plane. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming … TR

Tracy White June 13, 2011 (10:36 pm)

OK, so let’s expand on a couple of clarifications! ;)

We have typically been visited by three groups of warbirds, usually with a B-17. Besides the Liberty Belle and Aluminum Overcast, the Collins Foundation is due in a couple of weeks with their B-17 and B-24.

The B-17 essentially shared the same wings and engines as the Boeing 307 Stratoliner and were very similar except the 307 had a pressurized cabin for passengers and the B-17 was not built with so much comfort in mind!
(Somewhat tongue in cheek, the fuselage was quite a bit different)

Greg Bishop June 14, 2011 (2:28 am)

LIBERTY BELLE DID NOT CRASH.
THEY EXPERIENCED IN IN-FLIGHT FIRE, PROBABLY IN THE INSIDE, PORT-SIDE ENGINE.

THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, BUT FOUND THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE. HE FOUND THE FIELD, LOWERED THE LANDING GEARS, AND MADE A CONTROLLED EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT CRASH. THE PILOT BROUGHT LIBERTY BELLE TO A CONTROLLED STOP; ALL ABOARD EXITED THE BOMBER SAFELY, WITH ONLY A MINOR INJURY REPORTED TO A PASSENGER.

THE FIRE WAS ABLE TO SPREAD RAPIDLY THRU THE BOMBER…
AS IT STOOD PARKED IN THE FIELD. LIBERTY BELLE BURNED-UP ON THE GROUND.

IT DID NOT CRASH. NEWSPAPERS DON’T LIKE SAYING THEY MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. “CRASH” SELLS NEWSPAPERS. BUT THAT DOESN’T CHANGE THE FACT THERE WAS NO CRASH.

WSB June 14, 2011 (7:50 am)

Hi, Greg. Thanks for the update. Kinda hard to verify that at a distance. The article to which we linked yesterday has new photos and info today so we will update the headline/text. Without that context yesterday, the visuals all certainly suggested crash, with aerials of plane pieces on the ground. – TR

awojoone June 14, 2011 (5:01 pm)

The LIBERTY BELLE landed WITH her landing gear down! Kudos to the pilot. What horrible sight to watch Your plane burn the new pictures show a damn good landing!!! Glad to hear all souls were safe.