2022 Dallas air show mid-air collision

2022 Dallas airshow mid-air collision

Seconds after the mid-air collision, both planes broke into multiple pieces, here visible falling
Accident
Date	November 12, 2022 13:22 CST
Summary	Mid-air collision at Wings over Dallas airshow, under investigation
Website	Dallas Executive Airport (RBD), Dallas, Texas, United States
Total fatalities	6 (all)
First aircraft
N7227C, the B-17G involved in the accident, in October 2019
Typ	Boeing B-17G-95-DL/PB-1W Flying Fortress
Name	Texas Raiders
Operator	American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum
Registration	N7227C 44-83872 (s/n) 77235 (BuNo)
Flight origin	Dallas Executive Airport, Dallas, Texas
Occupants	5
Crew	5
Fatalities	5
Survivors	0
Second aircraft
N6763, the Bell P-63F involved in the accident, in October 2019
Typ	Bell P-63F-1-BE Kingcobra
Operator	American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum
Registration	N6763 43-11719 (s/n)
Flight origin	Dallas Executive Airport, Dallas, Texas
Occupants	1
Crew	1
Fatalities	1
Survivors	0

On November 12, 2022, two World War II–era aircraft, a B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra, collided mid-air and crashed during the Wings Over Dallas airshow at Dallas Executive Airport in Dallas, Texas, United States. The collision occurred around 1:22 p.m. local time (CST, UTC−6). The airshow, which coincided with the Veterans Day celebrations, was organized by the Commemorative Air Force.

Officials reported that the B-17 had a crew of five while the P-63 had a single occupant; all six were confirmed to have died by the Dallas County Medical Examiner. Both aircraft were completely destroyed.

Aircraft

The B-17 involved was Texas Raiders, a Douglas-Long Beach built B-17G-95-DL registered N7227C, which first entered service in 1945 and was operated by American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum. It was one of the few surviving B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft that remained airworthy. The second aircraft involved was a P-63F-1-BE Kingcobra registered N6763, which was also operated by American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum. This plane was one of only two P-63F variants ever built and was one of only five P-63s that remained airworthy. It did not have a name and was painted in its original "X" test markings.

Crash

The crash occurred at the Dallas Executive Airport during an airshow that had drawn more than 4,000 spectators. Both aircraft were being flown by highly trained volunteers, who are often retired professional pilots. According to witness accounts, the P-63F was performing a high-speed banked turn onto the runway approach while shedding altitude. It collided with the B-17 on the rear port quarter from above, severing the B-17's fuselage from a point just aft of its wings. Both aircraft broke apart and hit the ground seconds afterward, exploding and erupting into flames.

Victims

Six people, all crewmembers of the two aircraft involved, were killed in the accident. No injuries or fatalities were reported on the ground. In the hours following the accident, the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, confirmed on Twitter that two of its former members, Terry Barker and Len Root, were part of the B-17 crew and died in the crash.

Investigation

The day of the event, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) launched an investigation into the accident.

Reactions

Several Texas officials reacted to the crash on Twitter. Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins said on Twitter, "My heart goes out to all the individuals & families affected by the horrible tragedy at the Wings Over Dallas air show today. Please join me in praying for all." Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson called the accident "a terrible tragedy in our city".

The president of the Commemorative Air Force, which organized the show, claimed that this kind of mid-air collision during an airshow was "extremely rare," while a member of the Army Air Forces Historical Association noted the rarity of the planes involved in the accident, saying "It’s heartbreaking for me to hear this, both on a human level and a historical level."