*WASHINGTON – Several people were killed when a World War II bomber crashedat an airport in the northeastern US state of Connecticut Wednesday, USmedia and officials said.*
The Boeing B-17 aircraft crashed at Bradley International Airport whiletrying to land around 10:00 am (1400 GMT), the Federal AviationAdministration (FAA) said in a statement.
James Rovella, a state disaster emergency official, told a news conferencethat there had been fatalities but that it was too early to say how manypeople had died.
The Hartford Courant, a local newspaper, reported that at least five peoplehad died and nine were seriously injured in the accident, citing sources.
A spokeswoman for the Connecticut State Police told AFP that 14 people hadbeen involved in the accident, including ten passengers, three crew and aperson on the ground.
“We received six patients, three of which were critical. We have no moreinformation at this time,” a spokesman for Hartford Hospital, situated 25kilometers (15 miles) from the airport, told AFP.
It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, which occurred shortlyafter takeoff.
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According to excerpts of a cockpit conversation reported by several media,the pilot had asked the control tower for permission to land urgentlybecause of an engine problem.
Photos circulating on social media and carried by US media outlets showed athick black plume of smoke billowing from the crash site.
The FAA said the plane was a civilian-registered aircraft and was not flownby the military.
It was operated by the Collings Foundation, which seeks to preserve thememory of historical events.
The airport was closed for several hours before later reopening. -APP/AFP
