Two vintage aircraft collided mid-air and crashed during the Wings Over Dallas event on Saturday, organizers said. The event included flying displays of World War II fighter planes at Dallas Executive Airport. Bystanders capture a cloud of smoke after a crash at a World War II air show at Dallas Executive Airport, Nov. 12, 2022. Christopher Kratoville/Twitter “Authorities will continue to work today to investigate and identify the deceased. Please pray for their families and all involved,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said Sunday. A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra collided and crashed around 1:20 p.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. It was unclear how many people were on board the bomber and fighter jet, it said. The air show, timed to coincide with Veterans Day, is organized by the Commemorative Air Force, an educational association focused on US military aviation. In this screen shot from a video, a plane flies over a freeway before a crash at a World War II air show at Dallas Executive Airport, Nov. 12, 2022. Ephraim Badillo In this video screen shot, a plume of smoke rises after a crash at a World War II air show at Dallas Executive Airport, Nov. 12, 2022. Ephraim Badillo Leah Block, a spokeswoman for the Commemorative Air Force told ABC News she believes there were five crew members in the B-17 and one in the P-63, which is a single-seat plane. The Houston-based aircraft at the time were not giving rides to paying customers, he said. There were no injuries to spectators or others on the ground, according to Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson. In this screen shot from a video, people appear at the scene of a crash at a World War II air show at Dallas Executive Airport, Nov. 12, 2022. WFAA The airport said there was an “incident” during the broadcast and that Dallas Fire and Rescue responded. Bystanders caught a cloud of black smoke after the crash. Debris from the planes is also seen littering a nearby highway. The debris field includes the airport grounds, Highway 67 and a nearby shopping center, the mayor said. Bystanders capture a cloud of smoke after a crash at a World War II air show at Dallas Executive Airport, Nov. 12, 2022. Agnes Kalka In this video screen, debris is seen on a freeway after a crash at a World War II air show at Dallas Executive Airport, Nov. 12, 2022. Ephraim Badillo Air Force Memorial CEO and president Hank Coates said counseling will be available for first responders and bystanders who witnessed the crash. “It’s very difficult for me to talk about it because I know all these people, they’re family and they’re good friends,” he told reporters. This was the company’s seventh air show in Dallas and had between 4,000 and 6,000 attendees and volunteers present at the time of the crash, organizers said. “This is the first issue like this we’ve ever had to deal with,” Coates said. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. The NSTB is expected to arrive on the scene around 9 p.m. Saturday and will release a preliminary report, Coates said. “The NTSB is launching a team to investigate Saturday’s mid-air collision between a Boeing B-17G and a Bell P-63F near Dallas, Texas. Member Michael Graham will be a representative on the scene. The team is expected to arrive tomorrow. ” the NTSB said in a statement. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the incident a “tragedy” while announcing on Twitter that state agencies were assisting local officials with the response. ABC News’ Amanda Maile and Nicholas Kerr contributed to this report. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
