World

Dallas: 6 feared dead as 2 WWII-era planes collide mid-air

Written by Pirzada Shakir

Edited by Mohd. Fahad

Nov 13, 2022, 10:49 am 2 min read

Dallas: 6 feared dead as 2 WWII-era planes collide mid-air — After the Bell P-63 Kingcobra hit, a wing of the B-17 fell causing a major fireball and smoke

A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra, two World War II era planes, crashed into each other mid-air in the United States (US) on Saturday. As per reports, six people on board the two planes are feared dead. The crash was recorded on camera as the aircraft were part of an airshow in Dallas city of Texas.

Eyewitness recollect the incident at the airshow

A lawyer, who along with his 12-year-old daughter was at the airshow, has been quoted by The New York Times as recounting, "There were several aircraft flying at the same time." At the time of crash, "the narrator was describing the significance of the planes, and patriotic music was playing in the background," he added. Another eyewitness said, "Everybody was gasping and in shock."

How exactly did the crash happen?

Several videos on social media, showing people in shock and horror, captured how exactly the crash took place. Videos show the P-63 Kingcobra, a fighter plane, slamming into the Boeing B-17, a four-engine bomber, in mid-air. Coming from the same side, Kingcobra chased the low-flying Boeing B-17 and hit it, following which a wing of the B-17 fell, triggering a major fireball and smoke.

Visuals of the mid-air collision involving the two planes

⚠️ GRAPHIC VIDEO: A mid-air collision involving two planes near the Dallas Executive Airport, today. The accident took place during the Wings Over Dallas WWII Airshow at 1:25 p.m., according to Dallas Fire-Rescue. A @FOX4 viewer took this video. @FOX4 is working for more details. pic.twitter.com/jdA6Cpb9Ot
— David Sentendrey (@DavidSFOX4) November 12, 2022

Authorities in the city on alert

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson took to Twitter to share the details of the action being taken. He said, "National Transportation Safety Board had taken control of the crash scene with local police and fire providing support." To note, the two planes were usually seen in airshows and museums, as experts say, "It is rare to have either of the aircraft in flying condition."

Mayor of Dallas city shares details of the crash

As many of you have now seen, we have had a terrible tragedy in our city today during an airshow. Many details remain unknown or unconfirmed at this time. The @NTSB has taken command of the crash scene with @DallasPD and @DallasFireRes_q continuing to provide support.
— Mayor Eric Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) November 12, 2022

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Pirzada Shakir

Pirzada Shakir is a multi-media journalist based in India. His work on a wide range of subjects is published in national as well as International publications. He is currently working as a National Writer for NewsBytes. He tweets at @pzshakir6

Mohd. Fahad

Mohd Fahad is National Editor at NewsBytes. He has been associated as Assistant Editor with the daily First India. An Alumnus of AJK Mass Communication Research Centre (AJKMCRC), Jamia Millia Islamia University, he began his career with Hindustan Times. In a career spanning over 14 years, he has worked with The Goan on Saturday, DNA, Catch News and NewsX in leading editorial roles, and imparted wisdom as Adjunct Faculty at HJU, Jaipur. He was part of the country’s first batch of journalists in the Google New Initiative (India Training Network) on debunking fake news and misinformation, and now a Google-certified fact checker. Author of several socio-political and misinformation debunking columns, he is a prolific writer and closely monitors contemporary issues. When not working, he is found travelling with sufi music as companion.