NTSB investigating Dallas crash per local officials speaking after the horrific air show crash at Dallas Executive Airport.
Per the FAA, “A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 King Cobra collided and crashed at the Wings Over Dallas Airshow at Dallas Executive Airport in Texas…”
In a website based statement, Wings Over Dallas said, “Currently we do not have information on the status of the flight crews as emergency responders are working the accident.”
They continued, “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.”
NTSB Investigating Crash MidAir After Lives Lost
As the FAA investigating midair crash starts, at least one law firm has also expressed concern about lives lost.
Six people were reported dead following the crash. It is unclear who were pilots and crew versus paying passengers.
Air shows often make a profit by offering expensive plane rides in vintage World War II and similar aircraft.
One witness to the event said, “this looks like a classic loss of situational awareness.”
“As can be seen one or both pilots did not communicate. It does not look like they practice together enough, ” she continued.
Mayor Eric Johnson tweeted from his campaign account on Saturday. There he said “no spectators or others on the ground were reported injured, although the debris field from the collision includes the Dallas Executive Airport grounds, Highway 67, and a nearby strip mall.”
Both Dallas Police and Dallas Fire Rescue defer to federal authorities in these events. Additionally, other city and county agencies are not equipped to investigate.
Organizers plan to cancel Sunday calendar events for the air show per the website.
A query system runs for those who want to follow up on the event.
The Aircraft Involved
The B17 was part of the collection of the Commemorative Air Force. Its group nickname is the “Texas Raiders.” The plane sits in Conroe, Texas near Houston.
Additionally, there are only forty-five surviving examples of the B17 plane. Only nine are airworthy. B17 bombers were the backbone of American bomber strength during World War II. They were the basis of bomber strength in the European theater.
The P-63 was even rarer. There are only fourteen examples known in existence. Four are airworthy including one owned by the Commemorative Air Force.