gaosudin.com – A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell B-63 King Cobra collided and crashed near the Wings Over Dallas air show at about 1:20 p.m. Saturday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Jason Evans of the Dallas Fire Department told CNN that officials were responding to the incident at Dallas Executive Airport. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said the death toll in the crash had not been confirmed as of Saturday afternoon.
However, the Allied Pilots Association, the union representing American Airlines pilots, identified retired pilots and former union members among those killed in the collision. The APA tweeted that former members Terry Barker and Len Root were part of the B-17 Flying Fortress crew at the Wings Over Dallas airshow.
The agency’s active accident page shows that more than 40 fire rescue units were present at the scene after the collision. “The B-17 typically had a crew of four or five people,” Hank Coats, Monument Air Force president and chief executive officer, said at a news conference Saturday afternoon. The P-63, on the other hand, is said to be “single-on”. Pilot Fighter Type Aircraft”.
“I can say it was the crew in general,” Coates said. I cannot reveal the number of people in the manifesto or the names in the statement until I am released by the NTSB.
The Air Force Memorial identified both aircraft as having departed from Houston.
“At this time, we have no information on the condition of the cabin crew as emergency services are working on the accident,” the group said. It added that it was working with local authorities and the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA is currently leading the investigation, which is expected to be turned over to the NTSB around 9 p.m. When the NTSB team arrives at the scene, Coates said.
Late Saturday, the NTSB announced it was assembling a team to investigate the collision. The team is expected to arrive on Sunday, the NTSB said in a tweet.
“Rep Michael Graham will act as the onsite spokesperson,” Twitter added. “The maneuvers that [the planes] were doing weren’t dynamic at all,” Coates said. “It was what we called ‘parade bombers’.”
Johnson tweeted on Saturday that debris from the crash included the Dallas Executive Airport site, Interstate 67 and a nearby shopping mall, but no bystanders or others on the ground were injured. The event, which runs through Sunday, has been canceled, according to the organizer’s website.
“As many of you have seen, we were faced with a terrible tragedy today during an air show in our city,” Johnson tweeted after the crash. Many details are currently unknown or unconfirmed.”
“The videos are heartbreaking. Please say a prayer for the souls who took flight to entertain and educate our families today,” Johnson said in a separate tweet. The Dallas Police Department announced the closure of the southbound and northbound lanes of the freeway after the accident.
“It’s not about the plane. Not so, Coates said during the press conference. “I can tell you it’s a great plane, it’s safe. It is very well maintained. The pilots are well trained. It’s hard for me to talk about because I know all these people, they’re family and they’re good friends.
According to Coates, those who fly the planes at CAF air shows are volunteers and undergo rigorous training. Many of them are airline pilots, retired airline pilots or retired military pilots, Coates said.
