WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn.  — The two pilots of a B-17 bomber that crashed at a Connecticut airport were among seven people killed in the fiery wreck, officials said Thursday.

The pilot was Ernest McCauley, 75, of Long Beach, California, and the co-pilot was Michael Foster, 71, of Jacksonville, Florida, according to the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. The flight engineer Mitchell Melton, 34, of Dalhart, Texas, survived with injuries.

The plane crashed and burned after experiencing mechanical trouble on takeoff Wednesday morning from Bradley International Airport. At least eight others on the plane and on the ground were hurt.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this tragic accident,” said Maj. Gen. Francis Evon, adjutant general of the Connecticut National Guard.

The retired, civilian-registered plane was associated with the Collings Foundation, an educational group that brought its Wings of Freedom vintage aircraft display to the airport this week, officials said.

The vintage bomber _ also known as a Flying Fortress, one of the most celebrated Allied planes of World War II _ was used to take history buffs and aircraft enthusiasts on short flights, during which they could get up and walk around the loud and windy interior.

The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to investigate.