Although authorities have not publicly identified the dead, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins confirmed the death toll in a tweet early Sunday. The collision involved two World War II-era planes, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra. No one on the ground was injured or killed. Allied Pilots, a union representing American Airlines pilots, identified two of the B-17 crew as former union members. The union identified them as Terry Barker, 67, and Len Root, 66. Curtis Rowe of Hilliard, Ohio, also died in the crash, according to the Ohio Civil Air Patrol. Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and Dallas Fire Rescue were at the scene of the crash Sunday at Dallas Executive Airport. National Transportation Safety Board member Michael Graham speaks to the press at the Dallas Executive Airport terminal on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022, about the NTSB’s investigation into the plane crash that occurred the previous day at the airport. (Liesbeth Powers / Staff Photographer) At a press conference Sunday afternoon, Michael Graham, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, said the federal agency will “methodically and systematically” review all evidence and consider “all possible factors to determine probable cause.” “This is the beginning of a long process,” Graham said. “We will not rush to conclusions.” A preliminary report on the accident can be expected in four to six weeks, Graham said, but the full investigation will take 12 to 18 months before a final report is released. So far, Graham said his agency has begun securing recordings from the air traffic control tower, investigated and photographed the scene and interviewed formation crews and air display operators. The plane’s wreckage will soon be moved to a “safe location” to place both aircraft and examine the airframe and engines as part of their standard procedure, according to Graham. Asked if there was any indication whether the crash was caused by mechanical or pilot error, Graham said it was “too early to tell.” The agency will also review the aircraft’s airworthiness, operations, air traffic control and performance. Graham asked anyone with video or photos of the crash to share them with [email protected] “They’re going to be really critical … to determine how and why this accident happened and ultimately, hopefully, make some safety recommendations to prevent it from happening in the future,” Graham said. Both Root and Barker were based around Keller, according to their friends and social media profiles. Root has worked as a commercial pilot and manager for the Commemorative Air Force’s Gulf Coast Wing since October 2021, according to his LinkedIn. Prior to that, he was a flight management system program controller and flight manager for American Airlines for more than 35 years. He also studied aviation law and business at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Barker was a former Keller city councilman and military veteran, husband and father, the city’s mayor, Armin Mizani, posted on Facebook. “Terry Barker was loved by many,” Mizani wrote. “He was a friend and someone whose guidance I often sought. Even after retiring from the City Council and flying for American Airlines, his love for the community was unmistakable.” Mizani added that a Veterans Day display of 1,776 American flags will remain in front of Keller City Hall an additional week in Barker’s honor. John Baker, a former colleague of Barker’s at American Airlines, said the two met several years ago while outside Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Both were technology airplane instructor pilots in training until Barker retired about two years ago after 36 years with the airline. He said The Dallas Morning News Barker was a family man with a servant’s heart. “He was really into aviation,” Baker said, adding that Barker had a hangar at the Northwest Regional Airport in Denton County where he spent a lot of time restoring a Beechcraft AT-6. After his retirement, Barker became involved in recreational aviation and flying the B-17, Baker said. “He had great people skills and communication skills,” Baker said. “He also had a great sense of humor and was very professional.” Rowe, who was a major in the Ohio Civil Air Patrol, spent more than 30 years with the agency and “held every aircrew rating possible and earned the rank of Command Pilot,” said Col. Pete Bowden, commander of the Air Patrol. statement. “Curt touched the lives of thousands of fellow Airmen, especially flying cadets during hundreds of orientation flights during his service,” Bowden said. The Wings Over Dallas air show was scheduled to take place Friday through Sunday at Dallas Executive Airport in the Redbird neighborhood of Dallas. Canceled after Saturday’s clash. The event bills itself as North Texas’ largest WWII air show. Thousands watched from the airport and nearby businesses Saturday, including World War II and American military history buffs drawn to the show because only a small number of aircraft from the war remain in the air today. The flight demonstration portion of the show began at about 11 a.m. Saturday, according to a schedule posted on the air show’s website. One recorded event was described as a parade of several types of bombers, including the B-17. The next item recorded in the program was a fighter escort that included a P-63. It is unclear from the schedule whether both events would be held at the same time. Flowers are left along the fence at Dallas Executive Airport on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022, where a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra crashed a day earlier. (Liesbeth Powers / Staff Photographer) The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was a workhorse bomber that saw combat in both theaters of World War II. More than 12,000 B-17s were built in various models, according to Boeing. Most were dismantled after the war ended in 1945. Very few remain today. P-63s were developed during World War II, but were never used in combat by US forces, according to the National Museum of the United States Air Force. More than 3,300 were produced. The aircraft were sometimes used for training and several thousand were exported to the Soviet Union as part of a lend-lease arrangement. Video posted on social media shows the P-63 crashing and colliding directly with the B-17, which was flying straight. The impact instantly disintegrated the P-63 and split the B-17 in half, the front half of the fuselage bursting into flames as it hit the ground.
