"Aluminum Overcast" damaged by gear collapse

"atis118" wrote in message

After about 10 minutes I was cleared to land on the the other
runway and rolled past the B-17. I hope they can fix her up, she is
even more beautiful in person then on video.

A B-17 itself going to be taken out by something as simple as a gear-up
landing; the issue will probably be whether they can afford to do so, and
whether they can insure it afterward.

Sad. Hell of a ride for the passengers. I was in the tail of the Evergreen
B-17 a few years ago when Portland tower cleared a commuter jet to land at
the perpendicular runway (28L). We came in over the river and the pilot
tried to throttle up and go around, but the ol' bird wasn't going to do it.
We cleared the intersection and then he locked the brakes. The left main
seized up and the airplane careened nearly off the side of the runway, the
tail feeling as if was going to come around, as the back filled with smoke
from the rear tire. I was raised by a B-17 vet, which made it strange.

The pilot--a 747 captain--wrestled the old hoss back onto the centerline and
brought it in none worse for the wear. Got the whole thing on video from
the tail gunner's position somewhere.

-c