Vintage WWII Aircraft Makes Emergency Landing After DC Flyover

The skies over Washington, D.C., are some of the world’s most restricted. A Friday, April 8, flyover of vintage World War II aircraft had already halted air traffic to Washington Reagan International Airport. When a historic Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber had to peel out of formation and make an emergency landing, the airport stayed closed until the plane landed and was moved off the runway. A variety of aircraft took part in the event.

The Avenger, one of several World War II-era planes taking part in the “Arsenal of Democracy: WWII Victory Capitol Flyover,” a celebration of Victory in Europe Day, reportedly spilled hydraulic fluid on Reagan Airport’s runway but was otherwise undamaged. This video shows the formation of planes as the torpedo bomber broke formation to land. Credit: Twitter/Sky Kerstein