On October 3, a historic 74-year-old Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress known as Nine-O-Nine (after its military serial number 42-31909) crashed and subsequently caught fire in Connecticut during a living-history flight, killing seven of the 13 people on board, including the pilot and copilot. The aircraft, which saw extensive service during World War II, was operated by the Collings Foundation, whose Wings of Freedom tour visits cities all over the U.S. Although not generally used as a jump craft, lucky skydivers were occasionally able to make jumps from the plane’s bomb-bay doors when it was on tour. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, which was not skydiving related.

Wendy Ritter |  D-23594
San Mateo, California