A World War II-era B-17 bomber carrying 13 people crashed and burned at the Hartford airport in an aborted takeoff attempt Wednesday, killing an undetermined number of those aboard, authorities said.
The four-engine, propeller-driven plane struggled to get into the air and slammed into a maintenance shed at Bradley International Airport as the pilots circled back for a landing, officials and witnesses said.
It had 10 passengers and three crew members, authorities said.
Connecticut Public Safety Commissioner James Rovella said hours after the crash that some of those on board suffered severe burns and that it was too soon to say how many died.
"The victims are very difficult to identify," Rovella said. "We don't want to make a mistake."
"Right now my heart really goes out to the families who are waiting," Gov Ned Lamont said. "And we are going to give them the best information we can as soon as we can in an honest way."