A WWII-era B-17 bomber and a Bell P-63 King Cobra went down at the Wings Over Dallas Air Show this afternoon, killing both crews.
Both aircraft were involved in a mid-air collision. Numerous videos are circulating online of the incident.
At about 1:30pm the P-63 flew into the tail of the Texas Raiders B-17 Flying Fortress over Dallas Executive Airport, bringing both planes down in front of thousands of spectators. In the videos you can clearly see the P-63s prop cutting the B-17s fuselage in half, just aft of the wing spar, sending the vintage bomber into the ground as it burst into flames.
It is unknown how many people were on both aircraft, whether people on the ground were hurt, what could have caused the accident, or whether anyone on either plane even survived.
“The videos are heartbreaking,” said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson. “Please say a prayer for the souls who took to the sky to entertain and educate our families today.”
The FAA and NTSB are investigating. The NTSB will be in charge and provide additional updates, which we will post here.