https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/FAA-says-no-passengers-on-Collings-Foundations-15157635.php
This is going to hurt all warbird operators out there. The news is horrible, and while I take all news with a grain of salt, it is reportedly from the FAA and somewhat difinitive. Nine-0-Nine was the first B-17 I ever flew on, I have huge respect for The Collings Foundation, but this is very sad news.
I agree that it is bad news, however, see the detailed statements about poor maintenance on the nine-0-nine at https://hackaday.com/2020/03/28/poor-maintenance-could-have-led-to-fatal-b-17-crash/
Bill
Seven people died because The Collings Foundation lacked a safety culture. They either willfully ignored the safety procedures mandated by the FAA, or they are ignorant on how to safely maintain and operate their warbirds. As far as I am concerned, any other explanation is nothing more than an effort to invent excuses for The Collings Foundation. The FAA did the right thing in revoking Collings permit to fly passengers. The Collings Foundation's negligence will negatively impact the warbird community for years to come and they need to pay a very heavy price. I suspect that when the final FAA report comes out, it will be even more damning for Collings.
I'm also embarrassed at how many aviation photographers are actively making excuses for Collings.
As the years roll by, keeping these warbirds flying becomes more and more expensive. Insurance costs, maintenance costs, and a myriad of other financial realities cannot be avoided. The time will come when it simply won't be financially feasible to keep these aging airframes flying. And yet, the passion for keeping warbirds flying also creates an incentive to cut corners to save money. Why else would Collings have lacked a safety culture? Apparently, they felt it was a financial burden they could not bear. That strictly following the FAA's safety guidelines, and keeping their passengers safe, was a cost they weren't able to pay. Or, they are epically stupid and have no business flying these warbirds. The crew chief that survived the crash has already testified, and the FAA determined, that he had not been properly trained for his responsibilities as a crew chief on the B-17. Why? Why are 70+ year old pilots flying these warbirds when they would never be allowed to fly for the airlines? Why?
I now ask myself, what corners are the local Confederate Air Force folks cutting to keep their revenue flights going? What is their safety culture like? Sentimental Journey and Maid in the Shade make their turn to base directly over my house on a regular basis. I'm no longer confident that is as "cool" as I used to think it was.
Hopefully, the Collings tragedy will serve as a wake-up call for the entire warbird community to tighten their safety programs to ensure strict FAA adherence. I also hope that the warbird community has the resolve to look themselves in the mirror, set aside their passion, and make the hard decisions when it is time to park these wonderful airframes - before the next tragic crash.