Investigation underway over midair crash at Dallas air show

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By JUAN A. LOZANO, JOSH FUNK and LM OTERO

DALLAS (AP) — A national transportation official probing the cause of a midair crash of two historic military planes during an air show that left six people dead said Sunday that one of the key questions for investigators is why the aircraft were seemingly sharing the same space just before impact.

A World War II-era bomber and a fighter plane collided and crashed to the ground in a ball of flames on Saturday, leaving crumpled wreckage in a grassy area inside the Dallas Executive Airport perimeter, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the city’s downtown. Several videos posted on social media showed the fighter plane flying into the bomber.

“One of the things we would probably most likely be trying to determine is why those aircraft were co-altitude in the same air space at the same time,” Michael Graham, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, said at a news conference.

The crash came three years after the crash of a bomber in Connecticut that killed seven, and amid ongoing concern about the safety of air shows involving older warplanes. The company that owned the planes flying in the Wings Over Dallas show has had other crashes in its more than 60-year history.



In this photo provided by Larry Petterborg, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra collide in the midair during an airshow at Dallas Executive Airport in Dallas, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022. (Larry Petterborg via AP)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/dallas-texas-air-show-crash-updates-8893daa55614c6d1f3ec675a3fcd6d2a?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=TopNews&utm_campaign=position_06

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I flew in the plane that crashed 3 years ago. (the crash of a bomber in Connecticut that killed seven)

Here is that plane before we took to the air.

[barbtries]

1. this news must be hitting hard,

having flown in the plane. I'm wondering what your take is on this crash? Was the organization careless? Multiple crashes is a bad record. I'm happy you made the flight safely.

[Omaha Steve]

2. I'll wait out the report before jumping to conclusions

The plane I was in had a engine magneto problem before the crash. That fleet was grounded from providing passenger rides as a result of that crash.

[GreenWave]

5. Still with rising fuel prices a noted GOP problem area

Why are we so fuelish with these air shows and car races? We do we amuse the high % GOP crowd?

[MichMan]

9. We should probably ban all NFL, MLB, and NBA games too

All the teams fly on private jets. Wasting precious fuel and polluting the air just for peoples pleasure.

[EX500rider]

11. Not to mention vacation flights to Jamaica, etc...

We should all just sit home in burlap sacks in the dark perhaps..

[LeftInTX]

10. This show happened to be at the airport where the organization is based

[EX500rider]

13. Not sure what you mean "Why are we so fuelish.." ?

They buy their own fuel for use in their vintage planes, race cars, etc

[MichMan]

14. Some people believe the government should determine who is worthy to use gasoline.

[Aghast]

3. We Need to Understand

...what the intended maneuver was.

[stopdiggin]

4. +1. yep.

And with what kind of margins? I won't call it 'stunting' until we actually know what was going on. But that's where a lot of thoughts are leaning at the moment.

[Chainfire]

6. This crash was not because of the age or airworthiness of the aircraft.

One or the other pilots made a big boo-boo. It appears to me that the fighter plane pilot screwed the goose, but the NTSB will determine that.

[JohnnyRingo]

7. Pilot error is the bottom line.

A lot of people complain about airworthiness of such old planes and question why anyone would want to experience the sights and sounds of four radial engines roaring overhead, but these planes are coddled and maintained better than any commercial airplane in the sky. Until one witnesses the sound of a Rolls Royce Merlin in a low level pass, they'd never understand.

Pilot error is not something to ignore. More then half the aircraft in any war were lost to accidents instead of enemy fire. Despite the tragic loss of life, I would have loved to see a King Cobra fly, so rare I've never seen one outside a museum. Sad, and my heart goes out to the families.

[csziggy]

8. I think this person on YouTube might have a good theory as to what happened

(Long video but he includes video of the crash and the news conference about it.)

I am not a pilot or an aircraft aficionado, but his information sounds plausible.

[LeftInTX]

12. Thx for this!