NTSB Launches Probe Following Dallas Airshow Accident

Monday, November 14, 2022 at 01:41 PM ET

Verified

The Commemorative Air Force confirmed the names of the B-17 Flying Fortress and P-63 Kingcobra flight crews involved in the accident during the Wings Over Dallas airshow. [Courtesy: Commemorative Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

Six people died when a B-17G and a P-63F, both operated by the Commemorative Air Force, collided mid-air during the Wings Over Dallas airshow.
The accident occurred when the P-63F struck the B-17G from behind/left during an air parade, causing both WWII-era aircraft to disintegrate in front of spectators.
The NTSB is investigating the multi-faceted accident, analyzing radar and video footage, and has requested public submissions of relevant media.
A key focus of the investigation is determining why both aircraft were operating at the same altitude, despite standard airshow safety protocols designed to ensure aircraft separation.

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The go-team from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is painstakingly sifting through wreckage of two World War II-era aircraft that collided midair during the Wings Over Dallas airshow on Saturday. Six people were killed—five on the B-17G Texas Raiders and one on the Bell P-63F Kingcobra.

Both aircraft, B-17G, N7227C, and Bell P-63F, N6763, are registered to the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum. Both were part of the Dallas, Texas-based Commemorative Air Force, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and showing historical aircraft.