Six people confirmed dead after two historic planes collide midair at Dallas air show

 

 Six people were killed when two World War II-era planes collided in midair Saturday afternoon in a deadly crash at the Wings Over Dallas Airshow at the Dallas Executive Airport. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins confirmed the deaths in a tweet Sunday morning. “According to our Dallas County Medical Examiner, there are a total of 6 fatalities from yesterday’s Wings over Dallas air show incident,” Jenkins tweeted. “Authorities will continue working today on the investigation & identification of the deceased. Please pray for their families and all involved.” The planes involved were a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA said the two planes collided and crashed to the ground around 1:20 p.m. Officials said the B-17 had a crew of five people, while the Kingcobra was flown by a single pilot. No paying customers were on board.

 

The Allied Pilots Association said in a tweet Saturday night that two of its former members were killed on board the B-17. The pilots association, which is the union that represents American Airlines pilots, identified the crew members as Terry Barker and Len Root, who retired in 2020 and 2021, respectively. “Our hearts go out to their families, friends, and colleagues past and present,” the tweet read. According to a LinkedIn profile, Root lived in the Keller area and was a pilot and manager for the Gulf Coast Wing of the Commemorative Air Force. He previously worked for American Airlines for 35 years as a flight director and flight management system program controller. Barker also lived in Keller, according to property records. The president of the Dallas-based Commemorative Air Force, which hosted the show and owned and operated the planes involved in the crash, said at a press conference shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday that he could not release the number or names of people who were on the planes’ manifests or their status until all next of kin have been notified and the NTSB approves the release of the information. The National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said there were no reports of injuries to spectators or other people on the ground. The debris field from the crash extended from the airport grounds to Highway 67 and a nearby strip mall, Johnson wrote in a tweet.