Lifted just now from the excellent Wings Over Warwickshire Yahoo Group -
[email protected] (wingsoverwarwickshire)
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - A World War II-era German bomber en route to an airshow crashed into a building under construction Thursday, killing the pilot and his passenger, police said.
Witnesses said they heard a sputtering sound shortly before thetwin-engine HE-111 plowed through a chain link fence and slammed into the brick structure, igniting a fire that lasted an hour, police Lt. Robert Korber said.
A construction worker who was inside the building - an unfinished school bus washing facility - fled and escaped injury, said Tom Rooney of the Laramie County school district.
The bomber was the last of its kind known to be flying in the
world, said Tina Corbett, spokeswoman for the
Commemorative Air Force.
The plane belonged to the Arizona wing of the organization, which flies and restores World War II aircraft. The plane was en route from Midland, Texas, to an air show in Montana when the pilot reported engine failure, Corbett said.
The identities of the pilot and passenger were being withheld until their families could be notified.
"The plane came down in a field," Korber said. "We're just grateful (the pilot) probably made the decision that he
saw a residential area in front of him and decided to put it down where there were not a lot of houses, or this could
have been much, much worse."
Sad news....
Anybody know any more??
HP