Two vintage airplanes collide and crash during Dallas air show

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — Two World War II-era airplanes collided and crashed while performing a flyover at a commemorative event in Dallas on Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra were participating in the Air Force’s Wings Over Dallas air show when they collided mid-air near the Dallas Executive Airport just before 1:30 p.m., the FAA said. The planes were demonstrating World War II air maneuvers when the crash happened.

In a press conference, the Commemorative Air Force said B-17s usually run with a crew of four or five people and that only one person was onboard the P-63. They declined to give the exact number of people onboard the aircraft nor their identities, but said their families were receiving counseling. 

There were no reported injuries among spectators or anyone else on the ground.  

According to the event’s website, several planes were scheduled to do a flyover demonstration Saturday afternoon. Social media posts showed hundreds of people gathered to watch the flyover. The 3-day event is in honor of Veteran’s Day, which was Friday.

The Dallas Executive Airport Twitter account tweeted early Saturday afternoon that there had been an “incident” during the show, and that fire authorities were responding to the scene.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson called it a “terrible tragedy.”

“The videos are heartbreaking,” he tweeted. “Please, say a prayer for the souls who took to the sky to entertain and educate our families today.”

Dallas Judge Clay Jenkins said his “heart goes out to all the individuals and families affected by the horrible tragedy at the Wings Over Dallas air show today” 

Jenkins pledged that “Dallas County will stand ready to assist [with the investigation] however we can.”

Dallas Fire-Rescue confirmed that the debris field includes the airport grounds, Hwy 67, and a nearby strip mall. Several nearby roads were closed as a result but have since reopened.

The FAA is currently leading the investigation, which will be taken over by the NTSB later this evening.

The CAF declined to speculate on the possible cause of the crash pending the outcome of the investigation but said that “this was not about the aircraft,” which are “safe” and “well-maintained,” and that pilots are well-qualified and trained.