The Federal Aviation Administration said that a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra collided and crashed at the Wings Over Dallas air show on Saturday at about 1:20 p.m.
According to Jason Evans with Dallas Fire-Rescue, authorities responded to the incident at Dallas Executive Airport on Saturday.
Later on Saturday afternoon, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson stated that the precise number of fatalities in the collision was still unknown. Two retired pilots who were previous union members were among those killed in the incident, according to the Allied Pilots Association, the labour union for American Airlines pilots.
According to a tweet from the APA, former members Terry Barker and Len Root were on the B-17 Flying Fortress crew during the Wings Over Dallas airshow. Following the event, the APA is also providing expert counselling services at their Fort Worth offices.
Their tweet added, “Our hearts go out to their families, friends, and coworkers past and present.”
The agency’s active incidents website indicates that after the crash, there were over 40 fire rescue units on the scene. Hank Coates, president and chief executive officer of the Commemorative Air Force, said the B-17 “often has a crew of four to five” at a Saturday afternoon press conference. The P-63 is a “single-piloted fighter type aircraft,” although that is what was on the aircraft.
Coates stated, “I can assure you that it was crewed normally. “Until the NTSB gives me permission to do so, I cannot divulge the number of persons in the manifest or the names on the manifest.”
As many of you have now seen, we have had a terrible tragedy in our city today during an airshow. Many details remain unknown or unconfirmed at this time. The @NTSB has taken command of the crash scene with @DallasPD and @DallasFireRes_q continuing to provide support.
— Mayor Eric Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) November 12, 2022
Both aircraft were identified by the Commemorative Air Force as coming from Houston.
In a statement, the organisation said, “At this time, we do not have information on the status of the flight crews as emergency responders are working the accident.” It added that it is collaborating with regional authorities and the FAA. The NTSB team is expected to arrive at the scene at about 9 p.m. and take over the investigation from the FAA, which is now in charge of it, according to Coates.
The NTSB said on Saturday night that a go-team would be formed to look into the crash. The NTSB tweeted that Sunday is when the team is anticipated to arrive.
SB 67 and NB 67 is shut down. Traffic is being diverted to east and west of Ledbetter. #TrafficAlert
— Dallas Police Dept (@DallasPD) November 12, 2022
The message said, “Member Michael Graham will act as spokesperson on scene.
Coates observed that the manoeuvres the planes were performing were by no means dynamic. We refer to it as “Bombers on Parade.” Despite the Dallas Executive Airport grounds, Highway 67, and a local strip mall being included in the collision’s debris field, Johnson tweeted later on Saturday that no witnesses or on-the-ground casualties had been recorded.
According to the organizer’s website, the event has been postponed from today until Sunday.
“As many of you have now seen, we have suffered a tragedy in our city today at an airshow,” Johnson wrote in a tweet in response to the accident. Many specifics are now unknown or uncertain.
“The videos are painful to see. Please offer a prayer for the spirits of those who flew to the skies today to amuse and instruct our families, Johnson said in a different tweet.
Planes collide during air show at Dallas Executive Airport.
The Texas Dept. of Public Safety, Texas Division of Emergency Management, and the Texas Dept. of Transportation are assisting local officials in responding to this tragedy.@TxDPS @TDEM @TxDOT https://t.co/0ace4vBS2S
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 12, 2022
Following the incident, the highway’s southbound and northbound lanes were closed, according to the Dallas Police Department.
“The aircraft is not the topic here. During the press conference, Coates stated that it simply is not. “I can assure you that the planes are excellent and secure. They have excellent upkeep. The pilots get excellent training. Because I know all of these people and consider them to be family and close friends, it is tough for me to discuss them.
Coates asserts that the pilots participating in CAF airshows are volunteers who undergo a rigorous training programme. According to Coates, many of them are current or former commercial or military pilots.
Rare Vintage Aircraft Destroyed
The B-17 had been stored in Conroe, Texas, a suburb of Houston, and was a part of the Commemorative Air Force’s “Texas Raiders” collection. Only nine of the model’s approximately 45 complete surviving specimens were flight-ready.
Even rare was the P-63. There are thought to be 14 specimens still existing, four of which were airworthy in the United States, including one that belonged to the Commemorative Air Force.
Updates from @DallasFireRes_q:
– FAA is currently leading the investigation.
– Number of casualties are not yet confirmed, but no spectators or others on the ground were reported injured.
– The debris field includes Executive Airport grounds, Highway 67, and a nearby strip mall.
— Mayor Eric Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) November 12, 2022
Between 1936 and 1945, Boeing, Douglas Aircraft, and Lockheed constructed more than 12,000 B-17s, of which almost 5,000 were lost in battle and the majority were scrapped by the early 1960s. Between 1943 and 1945, Bell Aircraft produced over 3,300 P-63s, which saw primarily service with the Soviet Air Force during World War II.
Final Lines
At an air show in the US state of Texas, two old planes from World War II crashed into each other. At least two people were killed. The video shows that the planes hit each other at a low altitude and broke one of them in half. When a fireball hits the ground, it can be seen.
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