The FAA last week ruled the Collings Foundation could no longer accept money from people who wanted to ride on the organization’s World War II aircraft. The ruling included a critical look at the NTSB and the agency’s finding following the October 2, 2019, crash of the foundation’s B-17G, “Nine O Nine” at Bradley International Airport (KBDL) in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Though the NTSB conducted the investigation at the accident site last year, the notice immediately rescinding the foundation’s exemption to carry paying passengers came from the FAA. The agency’s action also halted a Collings Foundation request to renew its current exemption, an action required every two years.
FAA Withdraws Permission for the Collings Foundation Aircraft to Carry Passengers
Key Takeaways:
- The FAA has rescinded the Collings Foundation's exemption to carry paying passengers on vintage aircraft, including its "living history flights," following the fatal 2019 B-17 crash.
- The enforcement action was due to the foundation's failure to comply with exemption requirements, such as not training the crew chief on the accident flight and lacking an established safety management system (SMS).
- Investigations into the crashed B-17 "Nine O Nine" revealed numerous unresolved maintenance issues, including critical magneto, ignition, and spark plug failures on multiple engines, which likely caused a significant loss of power.
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