Six people were killed in a collision that occurred at an air show during World War II in Dallas, authorities said on Sunday.
Two vintage planes collided in the air and crashed during Saturday’s Wings Over Dallas event, organizers said. The event included demonstrations of WWII fighters flying at the Dallas Executive airport.
An bystander footage captured a cloud of smoke after an accident during the World War II air show at the Dallas Executive Airport on November 12, 2022.
Krzysztof Kratovil / Twitter
“The authorities will continue to work on the investigation today and identification of the deceased. Please pray for their families and everyone involved, ”Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said Sunday.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Bell P-63 Kingcobra both collided and crashed around 1:20 PM local time.
Five victims were on the B-17 while one victim was on the P-63 when it crashed, National Transportation Safety Council member Michael Graham told reporters at a news conference on Sunday.
In this screenshot from the movie, an airplane flies over the freeway before the crash during the World War II air show at the Dallas Executive Airport on November 12, 2022.
Efrain Badillo
Investigators are using radar to determine the point of collision, Graham said. They also interview other pilots and check the training records of the pilots involved, including how they practiced maneuvers that they planned and agreed with officials, and the aircraft maintenance records, according to the NTSB.
There were no black boxes on the planes, NTSB officials said, adding that planes don’t need to have them.
This screenshot from the movie shows a plume of smoke rising after an accident during the World War II air show at the Dallas Executive Airport on November 12, 2022.
Efrain Badillo
The airshows, which coincide with Veterans Day, are organized by the Commemorative Air Force, an educational association dedicated to the US Air Force.
Leah Block, a spokesman for the Commemorative Air Force, told ABC News she believes there were five crew members on the B-17 and one on the P-63, which is a single-seater. Houston-based planes were not serving paying customers at the time, she said.
According to Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, there was no injury to supporters or anyone else on the ground.
This screenshot shows the people at the crash site during the World War II air show at the Dallas Executive Airport on November 12, 2022.
WFAA
Airport He said there was an “incident” during the performance to which Dallas Fire and Rescue responded.
Bystanders caught a cloud of black smoke after the crash. There were also debris from planes littering the nearby highway.
The rubble field includes the airport grounds, Highway 67 and the nearby mayor’s shopping mall He said.
An bystander footage captured a cloud of smoke after an accident during the World War II air show at the Dallas Executive Airport on November 12, 2022.
Agnieszka Calka
This screenshot from the video shows debris on the freeway after an accident during the World War II air show at the Dallas Executive Airport on November 12, 2022.
Efrain Badillo
Commemorative Director General and Air Force President Hank Coates said advice would be available to rescuers and participants who witnessed the disaster.
“It is very difficult for me to talk about it because I know all these people, they are family and good friends,” he told reporters.
The organizers announced that this was the company’s seventh aviation show in Dallas, attended by 4,000 to 6,000 participants and volunteers.
“This is the first such problem we have faced,” said Coates.
FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board investigate the collision. The NSTB is expected to hit the scene around 9pm on Saturday and release a preliminary report, Coates said.
“The NTSB is launching a go team to investigate Saturday’s mid-air collision between a Boeing B-17G and a Bell P-63F near Dallas, Texas. Member Michael Graham will act as spokesperson on site. The team is due tomorrow. ” this The NTSB said in a statement.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the incident a “tragedy” during the update on Twitter that state agencies assisted local officials with responses.
Jeffrey Cook, Amanda Maile, and Nicholas Kerr of ABC News contributed to this report.
