WINDSOR LOCKS — There were six survivors of a fiery plane crash Wednesday morning at Bradley International Airport that left seven others dead, officials said.

The Boeing B-17, a World War II bomber plane, crashed at the end of Runway 6 while trying to land on the tarmac around 10 a.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The 74-year-old plane, which carried 10 passengers and three crew members, crashed into a de-icing building and burst into flames on impact, sending heavy black smoke high into the air, visible for miles around the airport.

Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner James Rovella said during a press conference Wednesday night that seven people were killed and that six survivors from the plane were in “varying medical conditions” from minor to critical.

He said all but three families of those on board the flight had been contacted, adding that the identities of the victims were not being released Wednesday.

Rovella said two airport employees were in the de-icing building and one was injured. He said a firefighter was also treated for minor injuries.

Following the crash, some local agencies confirmed they had members on board the aircraft.

The United States Air Force -- which responded in the aftermath of the crash -- confirmed a Connecticut Air National Guard member was on board the plane when it crashed. The agency confirmed the member “suffered injury” and was taken to Hartford Hospital.

“We’re closely monitoring the situation as the investigation proceeds,” said Maj. Gen. Francis Evon, the adjutant general of the Connecticut National Guard. “We commend the swift actions of our guardsmen in supporting the mutual aid response and are grateful for the well-being of our member on the flight. Our hearts are with all of those affected by the tragic accident that took place today.”

Two other passengers on the flight were Simsbury firefighters, the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company and the ambulance association confirmed.

“Fortunately, both (Simsbury firefighters) were able to escape,” said officials at the Simsbury Volunteer Ambulance Association, which responded to the airport after the crash. “We wish them a very speedy recovery along with all the other survivors. Our hearts go out to the families that lost love ones in this horrible event.”

The plane passengers were taken to Hartford Hospital, St. Francis Hospital in Hartford and Bridgeport Hospital, officials said.

Timeline

The plane took off from Bradley Internal Airport at 9:45 a.m., according to Connecticut Airport Authority Executive Director Kevin Dillon.

Minutes later, at 9:50 a.m., the aircraft crew alerted the tower to trouble with the plane. The crew attempted to circle and land back at Bradley.

Instead, four minutes after letting the tower know of problems, it crashed into the de-icing facility.

“Once it touched down, the aircraft lost control,” Dillon said.

First responders from surrounding towns raced to the airport to provide mutual aid.

According to audio transmissions released late Wednesday afternoon, one of the crew members on the aircraft radioed to the tower that it wanted to land on Runway 6. The tower gives the plane the green light to land on that runway and the aircraft acknowledged the message was received.

Then, one minute later, the tower checks with the aircraft on its landing progress. The call goes unanswered.

“Bradley, we have an emergency on the field. B-17 has crashed. Fire is seen, no other information is available,” the transmission continues.

The tower relays a message to all incoming responding emergency vehicles: “No matter where you are, proceed to the crash via the quickest way available.”

At 10:30 a.m., the fire in the building was extinguished. It reignited about 10 minutes later. It took until 11:35 a.m. for all fires in the aircraft and building to be extinguished.

Aftermath

Barbara Goldstein and her husband had just rounded the curve approaching the airport Wednesday morning when they saw black smoke filling the sky.

“I thought to myself, what could they be burning?” Goldstein said.

They also saw firefighters, but figured it must be some type of exercise, she said. When they got to the airport, they were told that their flight to West Palm Beach was rescheduled for Thursday because to the crash.

“You hear plane crash, but you think a jet,” Goldstein said. “You don’t think it’s a B-17.”

An employee of the Sheraton Hotel at Bradley airport said he saw firefighters racing from the west side of the airport past the hotel. When he heard that people could see flames, he ran outside and shot a video of the blaze on his phone. He said he could see flames and heavy smoke, and saw people standing outside the airport terminal watching.

Windsor officials and the Connecticut Department of Public Health alerted “the public to a potential discharge of firefighting foam into the Farmington River in Windsor” tied to the crash around 2:10 p.m.

“The public is advised not to come into contact with foam they may encounter on the Farmington River or the river banks, as well as to not take fish from the river,” officials said. “Additionally, the public is advised to not come into contact with any foam which may come from storm drains, manholes or catch basins.”

A state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokeswoman said the agency’s emergency spill response staff was on scene into late Wednesday afternoon to “assess, manage and contain contaminants released into the environment in the wake of today’s tragic accident at Bradley Airport.”

Contaminants released include aqueous film forming foam, glycol and fuel, DEEP said. The agency is working with other emergency responders to deploy containment system, including vacuum trucks and booms. The main focus in the effort was on Rainbow Brook, immediately adjacent to the airport.

“While our goal is to contain the contamination in the immediate vicinity of the airport, we did, out of an abundance of caution, notify residents that some contamination may reach the Farmington River,” DEEP said.

Awaiting answers

Gov. Ned Lamont said he caught a glimpse of the crash scene while getting to the airport after he was alerted to what happened. He said he saw smoke still billowing in the sky.

“My heart goes out to the families. They are husbands and wives and children,” Lamont said. “They are members of our Connecticut family. We will get to the bottom of this as soon as (we) can.”

The crash remains under investigation by a number of agencies, including Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Airport Authority, National Transportation Safety Board, the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.

The airport was closed until 1:30 p.m. and caused 39 flight cancellations and 19 flight delays, airport officials said during a Wednesday night press conference.

The NTSB arrived on scene around 4 p.m. and a spokeswoman said during the press conference that investigators expect to be on the ground for between seven and 10 days as they gather all necessary information, videos and documentation.

“Our hearts go out to the loved ones of the victims,” said a statement from state Sen. Richard Blumenthal. “They and the public deserve to know the facts and causes of this tragic crash.”

The plane is owned by the nonprofit Collings Foundation of Stow, Mass.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were on that flight and we will be forever grateful to the heroic efforts of the first responders at Bradley Airport. The Collings Foundation flight team is fully cooperating with officials to determine the cause of the crash of the B-17 Flying Fortress,” said Hunter Chaney, of the Collings Foundation.

The Collings Foundation, which offered rides on the B-17 for $400, planned to have two World War II fighter planes and three bombers at Bradley through Thursday.

The plane that crashed, named Nine O Nine, had previously visited Oxford-Waterbury Airport and Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford.