Commemorative Air Force Faces Lawsuit in Fatal Midair Collision

The family of the B-17 pilot killed during the Wings Over Dallas WWII Airshow is suing, alleging negligence.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, September 05, 2023 at 04:26 PM ET

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The B-17 ‘Texas Raiders’ from the Commemorative Air Force Gulf Coast Wing. [Courtesy: Jim Allen]

Key Takeaways:

The family of Len Root, one of six volunteer pilots killed in the 2022 Wings Over Dallas airshow mid-air collision, is suing the event organizer, Commemorative Air Force (CAF), for alleged negligence.
The lawsuit specifically names air boss Russell Royce as a defendant, accusing him and the CAF of negligence related to flight planning, maintaining aircraft separation, conducting proper preflight briefings, and allowing an "unsafe, unqualified air boss" to manage the event.
The November 12, 2022, collision involved a B-17G and a P-63F, resulting in the deaths of all six pilots and prompting the Root family to seek over $1 million in damages.
The family's primary goal with the lawsuit is to obtain answers about the accident and ensure improved safety protocols for future airshows, while the NTSB's final investigation report is still pending.

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The family of Len Root, one of six people killed in the midair collision of a B-17G and a P-63F during the Wings Over Dallas WWII Airshow last year, is suing the Commemorative Air Force, the organizers of the event, for negligence that allegedly caused the death of Root and five other men.

The lawsuit was filed last week in Dallas County, Texas, on behalf of Angela Root, the wife of Len Root, and his daughters, Larisa Lichte, Kendra Hockaday, and Rebekah Lowery. Angela Root was at the airshow and witnessed the crash that killed her husband.