A World War Two-era B-17 bomber trying to make an emergency landing at an airport near Hartford, Connecticut, crashed and burned on Wednesday, killing seven people on board and closing the airport for several hours, authorities said.

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress took off from Bradley International Airport on Wednesday morning and the crew contacted the air traffic control tower five minutes later to report a problem, National Transportation Safety Board member Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference.

During the crew's attempt to land back at the airport, the plane struck stanchions near a runway and careened across a grassy area and a taxiway before striking a de-icing facility, said Homendy, whose agency sent a 10-member team to investigate the crash.

Rescue crews from numerous emergency response agencies raced to the scene where a plume of thick, black smoke billowed skyward after the crash.

- Reuters