Federal authorities are investigating the tragedy that struck on Saturday when two World War II-era planes collided and crashed while performing at the Wings Over Dallas Airshow.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins took to Twitter on Sunday to provide a tragic update on the news of the crash:
According to our Dallas County Medical Examiner, there are a total of 6 fatalities from yesterday’s Wings over Dallas air show incident. Authorities will continue working today on the investigation & identification of the deceased. Please pray for their families and all involved.
— Clay Jenkins (@JudgeClayJ) November 13, 2022
“According to our Dallas County Medical Examiner, there are a total of 6 fatalities from yesterday’s Wings over Dallas air show incident,” Jenkins wrote.
The horrifying crash took place about 1:20 p.m. local time, according to a statement provided to multiple outlets by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The FAA also announced that it and the National Transportation Safety Board would be investigating the incident, with the NTSB spearheading it. The FAA also announced that the only casualties had been those aboard the planes. No one on the ground was injured.
“Authorities will continue working today on the investigation and identification of the deceased,” Jenkins wrote on Twitter. “Please pray for their families and all involved.”
You can see multiple angles of the incident below:
WARNING: The following videos contain content that some viewers may find disturbing
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress involved in a midair collision with another aircraft at an Airshow in Dallas. No information has been released on the status of the pilots, or whether any injuries were reported from falling debris. https://t.co/I0iScIWxmd pic.twitter.com/XBnR9ofL6U
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) November 12, 2022
Here’s a different angle, where you can hear the audible shock and horror of an onlooker:
Air collision involving a B-17 bomber and smaller plane at Dallas airshow pic.twitter.com/P8YSa9fkcY
— Ryan (@breakingryan1) November 12, 2022
And here’s a much closer view of the incident:
another angle pic.twitter.com/qMvabY3qEn
— Jessica O’Donnell 🏈 (@heckyessica) November 12, 2022
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson took to Twitter to address the incident and, like Jenkins, asked for prayers.
The videos are heartbreaking. Please, say a prayer for the souls who took to the sky to entertain and educate our families today.
— Mayor Eric Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) November 12, 2022
“The videos are heartbreaking. Please, say a prayer for the souls who took to the sky to entertain and educate our families today,” Johnson said.
While the loss of life does and should take precedence, it would be remiss not to mention the historic artifacts also lost in the crash.
Heartbroken. The lives of several aviators and two pieces of aviation history have been lost in the skies over Dallas today. The P-63 King Cobra collided with the B-17 Flying Fortress during the Wings Over Dallas airshow, destroying both planes. Neither aircrew survived. pic.twitter.com/l6Dyhes3hw
— Nathan Moeller 🇺🇸 (@TheAstroN8) November 12, 2022
The two planes involved in the crash, a Bell P-63 Kingcobra and a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, were both lost in the incident. The Kingcobra, while a U.S. fighter plane, was actually mostly used by Soviet forces. The B-17, meanwhile, was one of the most iconic bombers in the U.S. arsenal. Incidentally, most B-17s were actually scrapped following World War II, according to a statement Boeing provided to CBS News.
