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A few random thoughts:
1) The B-25 owned by the NASM was donated in the 1980’s and it was flown there from south Florida. I don’t remember the guys name but the story is that the NASM was actively looking for one at the time. The story was that on delivery, the owner buzzed his alma mater in Gainesville dipping down into the stadium a bit during a football game. He buzzed a couple of other places on his way north . Of course, the FAA did what the FAA does. He didn’t care as he’d been given a terminal cancer prognosis, anyway. The airplane isn’t restored to authentic NASM standards, it’s a 1980’s airshow restoration.
2) The crew chief, wasn’t he a local enthusiast and member of the Connecticut Air National Guard? What was he rated on, C-17 or C-130? To me, it almost sounds like he received some “ OJT” that weekend and they put him onboard. As a former 7 level crew chief on the Lockheed C-130H, I can say not all that much would transfer over to the Boeing B-17G. Enthusiasm? Also, the no seatbelt for him gives me pause for concern. Statistically, Injuries and fatalities increase dramatically in accidents where occupants aren’t wearing a seatbelt or the seatbelt system failed.
Trying to remember all my flight ( as a passenger)on military aircraft. Let’s see, C-130A, C-130H, C-5B, C-12, C-2, UH-1N, C-9, C-130J, never seen any crew member not sitting down and buckled up on takeoffs and landing. Civilian, exactly twice in transport category aircraft. One was a Citation 500, and a PBY. Both times I was a passenger, buckled in and didn’t know until afterwards , one or more people didn’t have seatbelts. It just doesn’t happen. Skydivers, typically aren’t buckled in but they have parachutes and many jump planes have a roll type door that closes, to improve safety and performance. The B-17s used to take passengers in the tail gunners position, however they are stuck back there and not allowed to come forward in flight. It would be a tight squeeze around the tail wheel. Maybe , there was a seatbelt for the crew chief onboard somewhere.
Crew chiefs don’t look over the shoulder on takeoff,check engine temps etc. Flight engineers do that function and there are very few aircraft types that require an FE anymore. It’s becoming an obsolete rating. My understanding of the purpose of a “ crew chief” flight assistant “ or whatever, onboard the B-17 is to make sure the passengers are okay, buckled in, and not having any problems. It’s rare, but occasionally a passenger has a fear of heights, and they freak out once airborne. I think the civilian B-17 has a minimum required crew of two. The flight engineer, navigator, radioman, etc. have been eliminated and the Captain and FO do it all. Sands as on the Falcons and Citations I fly. We do it all, including chucking luggage, putting the red gear on, assisting with fueling operations, towing, everything.
3) Remember the huge crash several years ago at Oshkosh during the Navy portion of the warbird show? Howard Purdue was in his a Bearcat and was told by the ground signaler to taxi a few hundred feet forward for spacing as they load runway 18 with aircraft for a multi plane launch. He’s sitting there, stationary, when he gets clobbered by a Corsair traveling about 80 mph. The Corsair pilot thought he’d been cleared for takeoff and his left wing clipped the Bearcat’s right wing. Mr. Pardue felt he was 100% free from wrongdoing and there was much litigation. He was assessed 30% culpable for the accident. I don’t know what percent the pilot of the Corsair, the EAA and FAA control tower were assessed. You can watch the video on YouTube and form your own opinion. All this to say, this is part of what the NTSB, the FAA, the Collings Foundation, and then of course the flight crew have and the trial lawyers have to work through. If the surviving new crew chief accepted responsibility and duties while onboard that flight, then he also incurred liability.
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