According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a World War II B-17 Flying Fortress made an emergency landing in a cornfield near Chicago on Monday, June 13, 2011. Following takeoff from Aurora Municipal Airport the pilot executed an emergency landing, and then the aircraft was engulfed in flames. All seven people on board escaped the aircraft before it was overtaken by the fire.
According to the Chicago Tribune, a witness claims he saw the left-wing engine on fire as it was landing. Sugar Grove Fire Chief Marty Kunkle said that the pilot reported the fire following the takeoff and attempted to return to the airport according to Comcast News. When the pilot determined he could not make it back to the airport, he decided to land the plane in cornfield.