As many as six people may have been on two World War II-era planes that collided while flying in a Dallas air show on Saturday, according to an organizer.
The crash occurred around 1:20 p.m., when the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra collided at the Wings Over Dallas Airshow at Dallas Executive Airport, according to information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration.
"At this time, it is unknown how many people were on both aircraft," the FAA said in a statement.
There were no reports of injuries, but Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said the collision's debris field includes parts of Executive Airport grounds, Highway 67, and a nearby strip mall.
Henry “Hank” Coates, CEO of Commemorative Air Force, the organization behind the show, said a total of six people could have been on the two aircraft.
The B-17 would normally have a crew of four or five, and the Kingcobra would just have a pilot, Coates said at a news conference Saturday evening.
No paying customers were on board the B-17, he said.
Because family needs to be notified of any possible fatalities, and because federal investigators have taken jurisdiction, Coates said he's unable to make manifests or information about fatalities public.
Both planes were part of the nonprofit organization's fleet of 180 aircraft used in its own air shows and those of other groups to demonstrate how the planes were used in World War II.
"This was a World War II flight-demonstration type of air show," Coates said. "It's very patriotic."
There was about an hour left in the show when the collision occurred, he said.
He said the planes are meticulously maintained and the pilots are not only experienced — often from the worlds of passenger jets or military flight or both — but the CAF does its own vetting and preparation.
"There is a very strict process of vetting and training," Coates said.
The show was the organization's seventh year in Dallas, where at least 4,000 were on-hand Saturday, organizers said.
Johnson said the National Transportation Safety Board would take command of the scene and the investigation. Coates said the NTSB was expected to take command later Saturday night from the FAA.
"As many of you have now seen, we have had a terrible tragedy in our city today during an airshow," Johnson said. "Many details remain unknown or unconfirmed at this time."
Emergency crews raced to the crash scene at the Dallas Executive Airport, about 10 miles from the city’s downtown.
Live TV news footage from the scene showed people setting up orange cones around the crumpled wreckage of the bomber, which was in a grassy area.
.png)
Post a Comment for "Planes collide mid-air at Dallas air show"