According to police, six individuals died as a result of an accident that happened at a World War II air show in Dallas on Sunday.
During the Saturday event Wings Over Dallas, two antique airplanes collided in the air and crashed, according to the organizers. At the Dallas Executive Airport, WWII fighter plane flying displays were part of the event.
“Authorities will continue working today on the investigation & identification of the deceased. Please pray for their families and all involved,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said Sunday.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra collided and crashed at about 1:20 p.m. local time.
The number of passengers on board the bomber and fighter jets is unknown, it added.
The Commemorative Air Force, an educational organization specializing in American military aircraft, is in charge of organizing the airshow, which is scheduled to take place on Veterans Day.
Commemorative Air Force spokesman Leah Block asserts that she thinks there were five crew members on the B-17 and one aboard the single-seat P-63.
She claimed that at the time, the Houston-based aircraft were not providing rides to paying passengers.
According to Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, neither spectators nor anyone on the ground sustained any injuries.
Following the collision, a cloud of black smoke was seen by onlookers. A nearby highway was also spotted to be littered with jet debris.
According to the mayor, the debris field covers the airport grounds, Highway 67, and a close-by strip mall.
At the time of the disaster, there were between 4,000 and 6,000 spectators and volunteers at this, the company’s seventh airshow in Dallas, according to the organizers.
“This is the first issue like this that we’ve ever had to deal with,” Coates said.
The crash is being looked at by the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA. Around 9 p.m. on Saturday, the NSTB is anticipated to be on the scene and will issue a preliminary report, according to Coates.
“The NTSB is launching a go-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 serve as spokesperson on scene. The team expected to arrive tomorrow,” the NTSB said in a statement.
Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, described the occurrence as a “tragedy” and said on Twitter that state agencies were helping local authorities with the response.
