Six people were reported killed instantly when a Bell P-63 Kingcobra had a mid-air crash with a historic B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. It happened at the Dallas, Texas, airshow on Saturday, November 12. This is a breaking story and details have not all been confirmed.
Mid-air crash kills six
Viewers were left stunned as two aircraft collided and virtually disintegrated on impact, mid-air. The crash left the crews of both aircraft presumed dead. The incident happened at the Wings Over Dallas airshow.
Numerous videos show the “Boeing B17 Flying Fortress bomber quickly approaching the flight path of a Bell P-63 Kingcobra.”
As horrified onlookers watched helplessly, the bomber collided with the smaller plane, “tearing it apart as the larger plane split in half.”
*viewer discretion advised*
A clear video showing the moment two planes collided mid-air during an airshow in Dallas this afternoon
WFAA reports one was a B-17 pic.twitter.com/osyRmWaq45
— Mike Saccone (@mikesacconetv) November 12, 2022
It eventually came down in a ball of fire nearby. Witnesses of the crash note that wreckage from both planes is strewn all over Highway 67. Smoke can be seen billowing above festival tents in the clips.
Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans reports that the crash occurred at around 1:30 p.m. above the Dallas Executive Airport.
Footage clearly shows as the front of the World War II era bomber split away from the rear section “as its wings caught on fire and it spiraled to the ground nearby.”
In a blind spot
As explained by one knowledgeable viewer, “the P-63 was banking left at the time and had the B17 in his blind spot so he could not prepare for the impending crash.”
According to Paul Martin with the Army Air Force’s Historical Association, “the Flying Fortress is like a ‘tractor-trailer truck,’ big enough to carry a crew of 10 or 11 people.” Meanwhile, the Kingcobra “is a single-pilot fighter plane.”
First responders are battling the still active fire which broke out. Police advise that the “highway is now closed off and traffic is being diverted.”
B-17 bomber collides with light aircraft at US airshow
The incident happened during the "Wings Over Dallas" event. Airplanes of the Second World War collided in the air, none of the crews survived. pic.twitter.com/16GL5y2MeG
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 12, 2022
Since the crash, “authorities do not yet know the status of either pilot or whether there were any injuries from fallen debris.” No injuries besides the flight crews were reported.
Daily Mail notes that the B-17 was “apparently being flown by a member of the Gulf Coast Wings Texas Raiders.” The event was meant to commemorate Air Force Veterans. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson called the crash a “terrible tragedy in our city.”
The “videos are heartbreaking,” he posted on Twitter. “Please say a prayer for the souls who took to the sky to entertain and educate our families today.“
