View source for Nine-O-Nine

{{Short description|Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress bomber}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox aircraft
|name = Nine-O-Nine
|image = B-17-231503-bassingborne.jpg
|caption = The [[Collings Foundation]] B-17G flying in the colours of ''Nine-O-Nine'', 323rd BS B-17G, displaying 1st Combat Bomb Wing tail markings. This aircraft [[2019 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crash|crashed in 2019]].
|sole example of type?= n
|aircraft name        = 
|other_names          = 
|type                 = [[Boeing B-17G-30-BO Flying Fortress]]
|manufacturer         = [[Boeing Airplane Company]]
|construction_number  = 7023
|construction_date    =  December 15, 1943
|civil_registration   = <!-- any civil registrations carried by this aircraft -->
|military_serial      = 42-31909
|radio_code           = <!-- military radio codes where this is a commonly-used way of identifying this aircraft (e.g. US, British, and German military aircraft of WWII -->
|first_flight         = <!-- date of first flight -->
|owners               = [[91st Bombardment Group]] [[United States Army Air Forces|USAAF]]
|in_service           = December 15, 1943–December 7, 1945
|flights              = <!-- number of flights made by this aircraft, usually only relevant for an aircraft no longer flying -->
|total_hours          = 1,129 hours
|total_distance       = <!-- total distance flown by this aircraft, usually only relevant for an aircraft no longer flying -->
|preservation         = <!-- where this aircraft is currently preserved (if it is) -->
}}

'''''Nine-O-Nine''''' was a [[Boeing B-17G-30-BO Flying Fortress]] heavy bomber, of the [[323d Bombardment Squadron]], [[91st Bombardment Group]], that completed 140 combat missions during [[World War II]], believed to be the [[Eighth Air Force]] record for most missions without loss to the crews that flew it.{{efn|name=gappy}} A different {{nowrap|B-17G}}, painted to mimic the ''Nine-O-Nine'', [[2019 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crash|crashed]] at [[Bradley International Airport]] in [[Windsor Locks, Connecticut]], in October 2019.

== Service history ==
The original aircraft, from a group of 30 B-17Gs manufactured by [[Boeing Company|Boeing]], was nicknamed after the last three digits of its serial number: 42-31909. ''Nine-O-Nine'' was added to the USAAF inventory on December 15, 1943, and flown overseas on February 5, 1944. After depot modifications, it was delivered to the [[91st BG]] at [[RAF Bassingbourn]], [[England]], on February 24, 1944, as a replacement aircraft, one of the last B-17s received in factory-applied camouflage paint.<ref>Havelaar, Marion H. (1995) ''The Ragged Irregulars of Bassingbourn: The 91st Bombardment Group in World War II''. Schiffer Military History. {{ISBN|0-88740-810-9}} p.185</ref>

A former navigator of the 91st BG, Marion Havelaar, reported in his history of the group that ''Nine-O-Nine'' completed either 126 or 132 consecutive missions without aborting for mechanical reasons, also believed to be a record.<ref>Havelaar, pp. 190 and 130, respectively</ref>{{efn|name=gappy|Other B-17s may have completed more total missions; see for example "Ole Gappy" as mentioned in article [[RAF Kimbolton]].}} M/Sgt. Rollin L. Davis, maintenance line chief of the bomber, received the [[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]] for his role in achieving the record.

The aircraft's first use in a bombing raid was over [[Augsburg]], [[Germany]], on February 25, 1944. It was used for 18 bombing raids on Berlin.  In all, it was flown 1,129 hours and dropped {{convert|562000|lb|LT kg}} of bombs. It had 21 engine changes, four wing panel changes, 15 main gas tank changes, and 18 changes of "[[Tokyo tanks]]" (long-range fuel tanks).<ref name=909history>{{cite web | url = http://www.collingsfoundation.org/tour_b-17g_hist.htm | title = History of the B-17 ''Nine O Nine''|accessdate = 16 January 2007 |website=[[Collings Foundation]] |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809112256/http://www.collingsfoundation.org/tour_b-17g_hist.htm |archivedate=August 9, 2014 |via=[[Wayback Machine]]}}</ref>

''Nine-O-Nine'' was returned to the United States after [[Victory in Europe Day|the end of the war in Europe]], on June 8, 1945. It was sent to the [[Reconstruction Finance Corporation]] facility at [[Kingman, Arizona]], on December 7, 1945, and eventually scrapped.

== Collings Foundation ''Nine-O-Nine'' ==
The [[Collings Foundation]] of [[Stow, Massachusetts]], flew a different B-17G painted as a "tribute ship" to honor the original ''Nine-O-Nine'' at [[Air show|airshow]]s and for "living history" flights, from 1986<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36745588/sight_of_vintage_bomber_startles/ |title=Sight of vintage bomber startles ex-crew member |first=Mary |last=Henrichs |newspaper=[[Vidette Times|The Vidette-Messenger]] |location=[[Valparaiso, Indiana]] |page=9 |date=August 11, 1986 |accessdate=October 4, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> until October 2019.

===Military history===
[[File:Waundrewindisplikers.jpg|thumb|right|Collings Foundation's ''Nine-O-Nine'', in Manassas, Virginia, on August 27, 1992]]
[[File:Collings Foundation B-17G Flying Fortress "Nine O Nine" landing at Paine Field, Washington.JPG|thumb|right|Collings Foundation's ''Nine-O-Nine'' coming in to land at Paine Field, Washington State, on June 15, 2012]]
[[File:B17 wreckage at BDL.jpg|thumb|right|Collings Foundation's ''Nine-O-Nine'' after its October 2019 crash]]

Flying Fortress '''44-83575''' (variant B-17G-85-DL) was built by the [[Douglas Aircraft Company]] in [[Long Beach, California]], and was accepted by the military on April 7, 1945. Arriving too late for use in combat, 44-83575 operated as an [[Air-Sea Rescue]] aircraft until 1952, when it was reassigned to the [[Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center|Air Force Special Weapons Command]] for use as a specimen in [[Nuclear weapons testing|weapons-effects testing]]. In this role, it was subjected to three [[nuclear explosion]]s as part of [[Operation Tumbler–Snapper]].<ref name=Survivors/> After a 13-year "cool down" period, the plane was sold for scrap,<ref name=909history/> for a price of {{US$|269|1965}}.<ref name=Survivors>Thompson, Scott A. (2000) ''Final Cut:  The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress:  The Survivors''.  Pictorial Histories Publishing Company.  {{ISBN|1-57510-077-0}} pp.116-120</ref>

===Civilian history===
As 44-83575 was in relatively good condition, it was restored by Aircraft Specialties Company<ref name=909history/> to [[airworthy]] condition for use as a [[Aerial firefighting|water bomber]] over the course of ten years, entering service in 1977, until its operator's liquidation in 1985.<ref name=Survivors/>

The Collings Foundation purchased the aircraft in January 1986, and its subsequent restoration to wartime configuration by Tom Reilly Vintage Aircraft won several awards.<ref name=909history/> Carrying civil registration '''N93012''', the plane was painted as ''Nine-O-Nine'' (including "231909" on the tail) and appeared at many airshows.<ref name=909history/> It was featured in a 2019 episode of ''Museum Access'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9903704/?ref_=ttep_ep1 |title=Collings Foundation Museum - Wings of Freedom- Stow, MA |website=[[IMDb]] |date=January 1, 2019 |accessdate=October 23, 2022}}</ref> which included a detailed tour of its interior and video of the aircraft in flight; an "NL93012" placard can be seen on the instrument panel and "231909" on its tail.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MKZEXbmow4 |title=Wings of Freedom WWII Aircraft - Museum Access (S2EP1) |publisher=Janson Media |via=[[YouTube]] |accessdate=October 23, 2022}}</ref>

==== Incidents ====
On August 23, 1987, N93012 was caught by crosswinds during a landing at [[Beaver County Airport]] near [[Pittsburgh]]. Landing too far down the runway, the plane rolled off the end of runway, crashed through a fence and power pole, and came to rest down a {{convert|100|ft|m|adj=on}} ravine.<ref name=909history/> Landing gear, chin and ball turrets, bomb bay doors, [[Plexiglass]] nose, [[nacelle]]s, wings, and fuselage all sustained damage.<ref name=909history/> There were no fatalities, however three of the twelve people on board were injured.<ref name=N4>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.91stbombgroup.com/Ragged_Irregular/RI_1995_Oct_V28_N4.pdf |magazine=The Ragged Irregular |title=Nine-O-Nine's Replica Survives Emergency |volume=28 |number=4 |date=October 1995 |pages=1–2 |via=91stbombgroup.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20001213X31923&AKey=1&RType=Summary&IType=LA |title=National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Data Summary, Accident Number: NYC87LA238 |first=Clifford |last=Danhauer |publisher=[[National Transportation Safety Board|NTSB]] |date=January 11, 1989 |accessdate=October 3, 2019 |via=ntsb.gov}}</ref> Repair work by volunteers and Air Heritage Aircraft Restoration Inc., supported by donations, brought N93012 back to airworthy condition.<ref name=909history/>

On July 9, 1995, N93012 was again damaged, this time near [[Norfolk, Nebraska]], when its landing gear would not fully deploy and it was forced to make an emergency landing, causing some damage to the fuselage and at least one propeller.<ref name=N4/>

On the morning of October 2, 2019, N93012 crashed at [[Bradley International Airport]] in [[Windsor Locks, Connecticut]], while attempting to return shortly after takeoff.<ref>{{cite web |title=B17 crash leads to fire, closure of Bradley Airport she burned up, completely destroying the aircraft.|url=https://www.wfsb.com/news/b-crash-leads-to-fire-at-bradley-airport/article_d514bd24-e51d-11e9-b6ac-47e02ec67428.html |website=WFSB.com |accessdate=2 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=WATCH LIVE: Officials called to aircraft crash at Bradley Airport, airport closed |url=https://www.wpri.com/news/officials-respond-to-large-fire-at-bradley-airport/ |website=WPRI.com |date=2 October 2019 |accessdate=2 October 2019}}</ref> The aircraft was destroyed in the crash, and seven of the thirteen people on board were killed.<ref name=BBC49909735>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-49909735 |title='Several dead' in Connecticut vintage B-17 WWII bomber crash |work=BBC News |date=2 October 2019 |accessdate=October 2, 2019}}</ref>
{{main|2019 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crash}}
The [[National Transportation Safety Board]] (NTSB) launched an investigation,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ntsb-investigating-whether-b-17-that-crashed-at-conn-airport-had-engine-troubles-before-takeoff/ar-AAIf3ok |title=NTSB investigating whether B-17 that crashed at Conn. airport had engine troubles before takeoff |work=[[Hartford Courant]] |via=[[MSN]] |date=October 3, 2019 |accessdate=October 4, 2019}}</ref> and in April 2021 released a report citing pilot error as the likely cause, with inadequate maintenance as a contributing factor.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/pilot-error-likely-caused-b-17-crash-at-bradley-airport-ntsb/2465488/ |title=Pilot Error Likely Caused B-17 Crash at Bradley Airport: NTSB |first=Dave |last=Collins |website=nbcconnecticut.com |date=April 13, 2021 |accessdate=April 13, 2021}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Nine-O-Nine (B-17)}}
{{Wikiquote|B-17 Flying Fortress}}
* [http://vintagetin.net/B-17Nine-O-Nine/ Spherical panoramas over, under, around and through the Collings Foundation B-17G, ''Nine-O-Nine'']
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjRQXjcY6u0 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress on ''Jay Leno's Garage''] via [[YouTube]]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTplxUQJDLA News report (WTAE-TV) of August 1987 incident] via [[YouTube]]

{{B-17 family}}

[[Category:Individual aircraft of World War II]]
[[Category:Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress]]