Image courtesy: The New York Times
On Saturday, two World War II-era planes collided during a flyover at a commemorative event in Texas, crashing into the ground and erupting into a ball of flames that stunned and dismayed onlookers.
According to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, the Commemorative Air Force said six people were on board the two planes at the time of the crash, and all six were killed.
A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra were taking part in the Air Force’s Wings Over Dallas air show when they collided in mid-air near Dallas Executive Airport shortly before 1:30 p.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The B-17, a massive four-engine bomber, was a cornerstone of American air power during WWII. During the war, Soviet forces primarily used the Kingcobra, a US fighter plane. According to Boeing, most B-17s were scrapped at the end of WWII, and only a few remain today, mostly on display at museums and air shows.
Several videos posted on Twitter showed the fighter plane colliding with the bomber and igniting a giant ball of fire and smoke.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson described the incident as a “terrible tragedy.”
“The videos are heartbreaking,” he tweeted. “Please, say a prayer for the souls who took to the sky to entertain and educate our families today.”
Safety at air shows has long been a concern, especially with older military aircraft. In Reno, Nevada, in 2011, a P-51 Mustang collided with onlookers, killing 11. Seven people were killed in a bomber crash in Hartford, Connecticut, in 2019.
At the time, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that it had looked into 21 accidents involving bombers from World War II since 1982, resulting in 23 fatalities.