B-17 Flying Fortress pilot who visited Spokane among seven killed in crash
McCauley, 75, of
In a reluctant interview he allowed that day as he focused on an oil change in one of the aircraft's massive radial engines, McCauley talked about what it was like to fly the iconic bomber that led the
"I fly this thing every single day," McCauley said with a smile. "This is such a great airplane. She doesn't like crosswinds too much. When the weather is really rough, it's like wrestling a gorilla. For the most part, it's a pleasure to fly."
The crash on Wednesday also killed co-pilot
Air traffic control recordings captured McCauley calling the tower at
However, as the plane approached runway 6, the B-17 lost control and ran off the runway and crashed into a building that housed equipment used for deicing aircraft and the wreckage caught fire.
According to the
"I think he just wanted to see what it was like to be in the back of a B-17,"
Mazzone, a father of three children and two stepdaughters, retired in January as a prosecutor's office inspector and previously was a Vernon police officer for 22 years.
"We're all very sad ... and we're very sad for his family," Chief State's Attorney
The wife of
"As soon as it fell behind the hanger, I just had this really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I just sensed that that plane was going to go down. I knew it, was certain of it," she said.
The other passengers killed in the flight were
The flight engineer
One patient injured in the crash remained at
An airman with the
The airman has training in handling emergencies on aircraft and had brought his military-issued gloves on the flight, according to the Guard. The airman was treated at a hospital and has been recovering at home. His name was not released.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this tragic accident," said Maj.
The
Investigators have begun securing evidence, including the engine in which the pilot had reported a problem,
As part of the investigation, she said, they also will look into witness reports that work was being done on one or two of the engines prior to takeoff. The plane had last been through a major inspection in
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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