WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- A World War II-era B-17 bomber crashed Wednesday while trying to land at Bradley International Airport in the U.S. state of Connecticut, killing at least seven people, according to local police.
Six people on board survived, said Connecticut State Police Commissioner James Rovella when providing the latest update on casualties at an evening news conference joined by National Transportation Safety Board officials.
The incident happened at 9:54 a.m. local time (1354 GMT) as the landing aircraft slid off the runway and hit a de-icing facility, according to authorities. The plane reported difficulties shortly after taking off and returned to the airport trying to land.
Thirteen people -- 10 passengers and three crew members -- were on the plane when it crashed, officials said. A person on the ground was also injured, Rovella said.
Bradley International Airport is located in Windsor Locks, about 24 km north of the state capital Hartford. Hartford Hospital said it has received six patients from the crash.
Kenneth Robinson, an emergency medicine physician at Hartford Hospital, said at a press conference that three patients were "critically ill," two "moderately injured," and one "minimally injured."
The airport, which was hosting the "Wings of Freedom" show of vintage WWII aircraft, resumed operation in the afternoon, according to an official tweet from the airport.
An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.
