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Two World Struggle II-era airplanes collided and crashed whereas performing a flyover at a commemorative occasion in Texas on Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration stated in an announcement. Six folks have been onboard the 2 planes on the time of the crash, the Commemorative Air Drive stated.
A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra have been collaborating within the Air Drive’s Wings Over Dallas air present after they collided mid-air close to the Dallas Govt Airport simply earlier than 1:30 p.m. native time, the FAA stated.
Agnes Calka
In keeping with the occasion’s web site, a number of planes have been scheduled to do a flyover demonstration Saturday afternoon. Social media posts confirmed a whole lot of individuals gathered to observe the flyover. The three-day occasion is in honor of Veteran’s Day, which was Friday.
Anthony Montoya noticed the 2 planes collide.
“I simply stood there. I used to be in full shock and disbelief,” stated Montoya, 27, who attended the air present with a pal. “Everyone round was gasping. Everyone was bursting into tears. Everyone was in shock.”
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson called it a “horrible tragedy.”
“The movies are heartbreaking,” he tweeted. “Please, say a prayer for the souls who took to the sky to entertain and educate our households in the present day.”
The B-17, an immense four-engine bomber, was a cornerstone of U.S. air energy throughout World Struggle II. The Kingcobra, a U.S. fighter aircraft, was used largely by Soviet forces throughout the conflict. Most B-17s have been scrapped on the finish of World Struggle II and solely a handful stay in the present day, largely featured at museums and air reveals, based on Boeing.
A number of movies posted on Twitter confirmed the fighter aircraft showing to fly into the bomber, inflicting them to shortly crash to the bottom and setting off a big ball of fireplace and smoke.
“It was actually horrific to see,” Aubrey Anne Younger, 37, of Leander. Texas, who noticed the crash. Her youngsters have been contained in the hangar with their father when it occurred. “I am nonetheless making an attempt to make sense of it.”
A girl subsequent to Younger will be heard crying and screaming hysterically on a video that Younger uploaded to her Fb web page.
The FAA and Nationwide Transportation Security Board will lead the investigation.
Air present security — significantly with older army plane — has been a priority for years. In 2011, 11 folks have been killed in Reno, Nevada, when a P-51 Mustang crashed into spectators. In 2019, a bomber crashed in Hartford, Connecticut, killing seven folks. The NTSB stated then that it had investigated 21 accidents since 1982 involving World Struggle II-era bombers, leading to 23 deaths.
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