State officials have identified the seven people killed when a 1944 World War II-era B-17 aircraft crashed at Bradley International Airport Wednesday morning.
Of the plane’s crew, the pilot, 75-year-old Ernest McCauley of Long Beach, Calif., and his co-pilot, 71-year-old Michael Foster of Jacksonville, Fla., are presumed deceased. The flight engineer, 34-year-old Mitchell Melton of Dalehart, Texas, was injured.
Five of the passengers are deceased or presumed deceased. They are 56-year-old David Broderick of West Springfield, Mass., 66-year-old Gary Mazzone of Broad Brook, 48-year-old James Roberts of Ludlow, Mass., 59-year-old Robert Riddell of East Granby, and 64-year-old Robert Rubner of Tolland.
The injured passenger are 36-year-old Andy Barrett of South Hadley, Mass., 62-year-old Linda Schmidt of Suffield, 62-year-old Tom Schmidt of Suffield, 48-year-old Joseph Huber of Tarriffville and 54-year-old James Traficante of Simsbury. An airport worker on the ground, 28-year-old Andrew Sullivan of Enfield, was also hurt.
A firefighter who responded to the crash suffered minor injuries and was treated on scene, state officials said Wednesday.
Gary Mazzone
Gary Mazzone retired in January as a prosecutor’s office inspector and previously was a Vernon police officer for 22 years.
Mazzone joined the Vernon Police Department on Aug. 2, 1976 and retired Sept. 23, 1998.
Vernon police said Mazzone retired from the state in January 2019.
Mazzone spent more than 42 years in law enforcement and Vernon police said he had a special relationship with Special Olympics Connecticut and is a member of their hall of fame.
Mazzone’s son Brian said the family is trying to cope with the loss.
“I hate to say he died doing what he loved. But he kind of did.”
He described his father as an outdoorsman driven by his sense of adventure.
Brian said it was that sense of adventure and love of history that drew him to take the flight on board the B-17.
“I think he wanted to know what it felt like to be on one of those planes. Like people in World War II.”
Brian said Mazzone was gone too soon and the family is grieving.
“I just feel cheated. I feel cheated for everyone else. I feel cheated for my kids. My sister and my brother and stepsisters in my step mom everyone got cheated.”
Robert Riddell
Robert Riddell was an insurance company analyst at The Hartford He had posted photos from inside the plane before it took off. In a Facebook post Wednesday, his wife confirmed his death, describing Riddell as “the best person I’ve ever known” and a man who loved his family.
“Everything about to World War II he loved. He has a 1942 release for Jeep that he restored. He had an interest in the movies and documentaries,” Debra Riddell told NBC Connecticut.
She took a video of Robert as he was about to board the plane Wednesday, not knowing it would be the last time she would see him.
“I want the world to know he was a good man. He died what he loves doing. I’m not happy he died doing it,” she said.
Debra said Robert texted her from the plane just before the crash.
“He sent me a text message and said they telling us to get back to our seats and strap in. They were going back. So I sent him a ? And he wrote back one word. Turbulence.”
Moments later her worst fears came true.
“I saw this huge fireball and smoke. I knew I knew that plane had crashed. I could not believe it. I was in shock. I could not believe that that plane actually crashed,” she said.
“He was an amazing father, grandfather, husband. I’m not saying that because I was married to him and I loved him. I’m saying that because that’s the person he was and everybody knows that,” she added.
The Hartford released the following statement on Riddell’s death:
“We are very saddened to learn of the passing of our longtime employee, Robert Riddell, in the crash yesterday at Bradley International Airport. We offer our condolences to his family and friends and to everyone affected by this tragedy.”
The NTSB is investigating the crash.
Members of the NTSB family assistance division are available to help connect the families with the resources they need.
The NTSB is asking anyone with information, pictures or video to email witness@ntsb.gov.
Source : Nbcnewyork
