A B-17 Flying Fortress bomber and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra, both iconic World War II-era aircraft, collided mid-air at a Dallas air show on Saturday.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the accident took place near the Dallas Executive Airport at 1:30 p.m., local time, during the Wings Over Dallas air show.
Official information on the number of casualties is still pending. According to the Commemorative Air Force, six people were aboard the two aircraft at the time of the crash.
The Allied Pilots Association, an American Airlines pilots labor union, has identified two persons killed in the crash. “Former APA members CA Terry Barker and CA Len Root were among the crewmembers lost on B-17 Flying Fortress during the Wings Over Dallas airshow today,” the APA said.
In response to the accident, the Commemorative Air Force said the Wings Over Dallas WWII airshow would not take place on Sunday.
Only a handful of the WWII B-17 four-engine bombers are still flying. The accident on Saturday follows the crash of a B-17 in Connecticut in 2019 with 13 people onboard. The National Transportation Safety Board identified pilot error as probable cause of the crash, with inadequate maintenance as a contributing factor.
