TX- Dallas: Mid air crash at Wings Over Dallas air show

[IceIce9]

On a couple videos you can see there was another plane, possibly two or more also in the air, a little ahead of the B-17. I'm trying to find an official msm link. Was the P-63 maybe trying to join up?

There were two P-63 planes flying in formation.

 

[whitelilac]

From the above presser:
4-5 people are usually on the B-17 bomber.
1 person is usually on the P-63.
They cannot confirm how many and who were on those planes today at this time.

The poor families....heartbreaking...

 

[IceIce9]

In one of the videos being linked on MSM after the crash you can hear a child asking, “Was that supposed to happen?”

 

[fred&edna]

I grew up with my US Army Air Corp father telling me grand stories of the B-17 in WWII... those planes were sturdy and rugged during their time. The pilot never had a chance in this instance

So sad for all

ETA: My father was a member of the CAF (owners of the planes involved)

 

[Gardenista]

Planes crash in mid-air, sending debris flying

Two planes collided in mid-air at the Wings Over Dallas event Saturday, sending debris flying to Highway 67 in Dallas, Texas.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[MsMarple]

I know it's early but I'm wondering about Air Traffic Control. Anyway, in this article from the Daily Mail it's stated that according to a witness the P-63 was banking left and the B-17 was in his blind spot.

WARNING: the link has photos and video of the collision.

Planes crash in mid-air, sending debris flying

Two planes collided in mid-air at the Wings Over Dallas event Saturday, sending debris flying to Highway 67 in Dallas, Texas.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[whitelilac]

^ the above Daily Mail link is stating:

"Six crew members are feared to be dead...."

 

[MsMarple]

Here's msm video that includes the other aircraft flying in formation. I'm posting it as a LINK here in order to suppress the video automatically coming up. Just click on the blue link to view. Be warned again that there is footage of the crash!

 

[Ray_of_hope]

Terrible tragedy. Prayers for all.

 

[CocoChanel]

This link says one of the planes is based somewhere north of Houston.
2 planes collide at Dallas air show, one plane was based north of Houston

 

[dotr]

Upsetting. rbbm.

6 killed in collision between World War II planes at Wings Over Dallas air show

All six people who were onboard the two planes at the time of the crash were killed, a county official said.

www.cbsnews.com

''Two World War II-era airplanes collided and crashed while performing a flyover at a commemorative event in Texas on Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. Six people were onboard the two planes at the time of the crash, the Commemorative Air Force said.

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. local time, the FAA said.''

''The B-17, an immense four-engine bomber, was a cornerstone of U.S. air power during World War II. The Kingcobra, a U.S. fighter plane, was used mostly by Soviet forces during the war. Most B-17s were scrapped at the end of World War II and only a handful remain today, largely featured at museums and air shows, according to Boeing.''

 

[MsMarple]

This afternoon, two aircraft were involved in a mid-air collision at Dallas Executive Airport. The aircraft were a B-17 Flying Fortress and P-63 Kingcobra, both out of Houston.

Currently we do not have information on the status of the flight crews as emergency responders are working the accident.
The Commemorative Air Force is working with local authorities, the FAA, and the NTSB will conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident.

Any available information will be posted here.

Commemorative Air Force

World's Largest Flying Museum

www.commemorativeairforce.org

 

[whitelilac]

The PC by CEO of the Commemorative Air Force Hank Coates is worth listening to.
NTSB will be on site tonight.

2 planes collide at Dallas air show, both planes based out Houston

Both planes that were involved in the tragic collision in Dallas were based out of Conroe, just north of Houston.

www.fox26houston.com

 

[meanmaryjean]

My daughter (an FAA licensed aircraft mechanic and inspector) just messaged me "I feel the same ways about vintage airshows that you do about seeing helmetless kids on ATVs and toddlers sitting on someone's lap on a riding mower."

 

[whitelilac]

Updated report.
Just awful....another video showing the crash of the two aircraft to the ground right from across the field.

6 Dead After 2 Planes Crash Mid-Flight During Airshow in Dallas, Victims Identified

During the annual Wings Over Dallas show, two planes, including a B-17 and a P-63, collided mid-air, killing six.

www.nbcdfw.com

 

[IceIce9]

My daughter (an FAA licensed aircraft mechanic and inspector) just messaged me "I feel the same ways about vintage airshows that you do about seeing helmetless kids on ATVs and toddlers sitting on someone's lap on a riding mower."

My dad and I saw a wingwalker demonstration at a sporting event, and I thought it was terrifying. Then a few years later both wingwalker and her pilot were killed in an accident at the Dayton air show.

 

[Cryptic]

Horrifying.
Very strange that the small plane would hit the B-17. Perfect visibility etc. Mechanical issue? Distraction?

I have been to the airshow where the crash occurred.

The show is fantastic and involves a good amount of pyrotechnics, simulated ground attack runs, simulated dog fights, and formation flying.

I doubt the B-17, being the Queen of the Skies as far as flyable WWII go, would have been involved in any simulated attacks. Rather, I suspect the accident occurred during a formation flying demonstration or simulated escort missions.

This could involve pilot error or mechanical malfunction. Statistically, the odds would go to 'pilot error', and the video I saw suggests this was the case (apparent simulated escort mission).

As a side note, I have the impression that the mechanics maintaining these aircraft are all ubber experienced. Every mechanic that I met over the years at airshows was either a retired military mechanic or a retired commercial airline mechanic. In either case, they had decades of experience.

 

[IceIce9]

The B-17 was in the P-63’s blind spot. MOO

 

[CocoChanel]

From the posted link earlier…
LIVE NOW: 2 Planes Crash Mid-Air During Air Show at Dallas Executive Airport
There is nothing left!
Oh my word, 2 planes disintegrated in a matter of seconds.
There is absolutely nothing left in that field,

ABC affiliate KTRK.com is reporting that the planes were from Houston.
2 aircraft out of Houston collide in mid-air during WWII airshow in Dallas, FAA says

Quoting my own post to note that I see in subsequent video that there IS wreckage of what looks like the B-17 visible in the field. The video I saw earlier showed scorched earth but no debris which prompted my thought that everything had disintegrated. That was apparently incorrect. Sorry for the inaccuracies.

 

[IceIce9]

Rare vintage aircraft destroyed​

The B-17 was part of the collection of the Commemorative Air Force, nicknamed "Texas Raiders," and had been hangered in Conroe, Texas near Houston. It was one of about 45 complete surviving examples of the model, only nine of which were airworthy.

The P-63 was even rarer. Some 14 examples are known to survive, four of which in the United States were airworthy, including one owned by the Commemorative Air Force.

Vintage military aircraft collide mid-air at Dallas air show

A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra collided and crashed at the Wings Over Dallas airshow around 1:20 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

amp.cnn.com