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On Saturday, November 12, two World War II military planes collided mid-air during an airshow in Dallas, killing six people. Authorities have been working on identifying the victims of the horrifying crash.
The aircraft involved in the fatal accident include a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra. The collision took place during the Wings Over Dallas air show event at Dallas Executive Airport. Video footage of the shocking incident has now gone viral on social media platforms, especially Twitter.
Trigger warning: The following video is graphic in nature. Viewer discretion is strictly advised.
In the video, a B-17 can be seen colliding with a smaller plane and exploding into plumes of black smoke as debris from the damaged planes falls everywhere. People can be heard screaming in the videos as the planes fireball and descend to the ground in the blink of an eye.
What happened at the Dallas air show? Officials have identified the victims of the tragedy
On Saturday, an air show that included historic World War II aircraft ended in tragedy when two planes collided with each other mid-air, causing damage to six lives and two pieces of American aviation history.
In one of the videos, the show's announcers can be heard asking the people watching the show to stay off their cell phones to keep the air channels clear for emergency responders. They also said that children “may wish to turn away” from the devastating scene.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in a tweet regarding the tragic incident:
"As many of you have now seen, we have had a terrible tragedy in our city today during an airshow. Many details remain unknown or unconfirmed at this time. The @NTSB has taken command of the crash scene with @DallasPD and @DallasFireRes_q continuing to provide support. The videos are heartbreaking. Please, say a prayer for the souls who took to the sky to entertain and educate our families today."
On Sunday, November 13, three of the six fatalities in the air show incident were identified by officials. Two of them were former Allied Pilots Association members and the third was a member of the Ohio Wing Civil Air Patrol.
In a tweet, Allied Pilots said:
"We are saddened to report that former APA members CA Terry Barker and CA Len Root were among the crewmembers lost on B-17 Flying Fortress during the...airshow today. Our hearts go out to their families, friends, and colleagues past and present."
According to the Mayor of Keller, Texas, Barker was an Army veteran who flew helicopters during his military service. He also worked for American Airlines for 36 years before his retirement in 2020.
The Ohio Wing Civil Air Patrol commander mourned the loss of 30-year-old veteran Major Curtis J. Rowe in a Facebook post, writing:
"To a great aviator, colleague, and Auxiliary Airman, farewell."
At a news conference on Sunday, National Transportation Safety Board member Michael Graham said that the board was investigating the collision, including why both aircraft were flying at the same altitude and in the same air space.
