Crash at an air show in Texas: information about those who died in the crash was made public

Six people were killed after two World War II military aircraft collided mid-air and crashed at Dallas Executive Airport during an airshow November 12 afternoon, reports CNN.

Photo: IStock

As a result, everyone on board was killed, according to the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office on November 13.

"We can confirm there are six deaths," a spokesman for the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office said.

On the subject: An Iranian who lived there for 18 years died at the Paris airport: he inspired Spielberg's film 'Terminal'

More than 40 fire and rescue teams arrived on the scene after two vintage aircraft - a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra - crashed during the Wings Over Dallas airshow.

Video footage of the crash, described by the mayor of Dallas as "heartbreaking," shows the planes breaking apart in the air after the collision, then falling to the ground seconds later before bursting into flames.

What is known about the dead crew members

The Federal Aviation Administration said the accident happened around 13:20 p.m. on November 12.

The Allied Pilots Association, the union that represents American Airlines pilots, identified two retired pilots and former union members among those killed in the collision.

Former members Terry Barker and Len Root were the crew of the B-17 Flying Fortress during the air show, according to APA on social media.

“Our hearts go out to their families, friends and colleagues past and present,” the union said in a statement. APA offers professional advisory services at its Fort Worth headquarters following the incident.

The death of Barker, a former Keller, Texas city council member, was also announced by Keller Mayor Armin Misani on November 13 morning in a Facebook post.

“Keller is heartbroken as we learn that husband, father, Army veteran and former Keller City Councilman Terry Barker was one of the victims of the tragic crash at the Dallas Air Show,” Misani wrote. — Terry Barker was loved by many. He was a friend and someone I often turned to for advice. Even after leaving the City Council, his love for the community was boundless.”

According to agency commander Colonel Pete Bowden, a 30-year veteran of the Ohio Air Force, Major Curtis J. Roe, was also among those killed in the collision.

According to Bowden, Rowe held several positions throughout his tenure with the Civil Air Patrol, from safety officer to operations officer, and most recently, he was Ohio Wing Maintenance Officer. The commander added that Rowe's family was notified of his death on November 12 in the evening.

“I find comfort in the fact that when great aviators like Kurt die, they do it while doing what they love. Kurt has impacted the lives of thousands of his fellow CAPs, especially the cadets he has flown with on familiarization flights or taught at flight academies, and we should be eternally grateful for that,” Bowden wrote in a Facebook post.

At a press conference Saturday, Hank Coates, president and CEO of Commemorative Air Force, an organization dedicated to the preservation and maintenance of vintage military aircraft, told reporters that the B-17 "usually has a crew of four or five," and the P-63 it is a "single-pilot fighter".

The Air Force identified both aircraft as based in Houston.

No spectators or other people on the ground were reported injured, although the radius of debris from the impact includes the Dallas Executive Airport, Highway 67, and a nearby shopping mall.

Rare aircraft involved

The B-17 was part of a Commemorative Air Force commemorative collection called "Texas Raiders" and was stored in a hangar in Conroe, Texas near Houston.

It was one of approximately 45 fully preserved examples of the model, only nine of which are airworthy.

P-63 was even rarer. About 14 examples are known to have survived, four of which were airworthy in the US, including one owned by the Commemorative Air Force.

Between 1936 and 1945, Boeing, Douglas Aircraft and Lockheed produced over 12 B-000s, of which almost 17 were lost during the war, and most of the rest were scrapped by the early 5s. Around 000 P-1960s were produced by Bell Aircraft between 3300 and 63 and were primarily used by Soviet forces during World War II.

Investigation

The investigation into the crash was led by the FAA, but the NTSB took over the investigation as soon as its team arrived on the scene, the agency said at a November 13 press conference. The team sent by the NTSB is made up of technical experts who are regularly dispatched to aircraft crash sites to investigate collisions.

"Our team methodically and systematically reviews all evidence and considers all potential factors to determine a probable cause," said NTSB member Michael Graham.

Investigators have begun seizing audio recordings from the control tower and interviewing other crews and airshow workers, Graham said.

He added that none of the aircraft were equipped with a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder, often referred to as a "black box".

Investigators surveyed the scene, using both an NTSB drone and a photograph of the scene from the ground, to document the area before the wreckage was moved to safety, Graham said.

A preliminary accident report is expected in four to six weeks, but a full investigation could take 12 to 18 months before a final report is released.

Graham addressed the witnesses, saying that if anyone has a photo or video of the incident, they should share it with the NTSB.

“They're actually going to be very important because we don't have data from flight data recorders or cockpit voice recorders or anything like those devices,” Graham said. “They will be very important to analyze the collision and also link that to the aircraft's control records to determine why the two aircraft collided and determine how and why this accident occurred, and then eventually, hopefully, maybe do some safety recommendations to prevent this from happening in the future.”

The people flying the planes at the CAF airshow are volunteers and go through a rigorous training process, Coates said. Many of them are airline pilots, retired airline pilots, or retired military pilots.

“The maneuvers the planes performed were not dynamic at all,” Coates noted. “It was what we call “Bombers on Parade.”

“It’s not about the airplanes,” Coates said. “I can tell you that these are excellent planes, they are safe. They are very well preserved. The pilots are very well trained. So it’s hard for me to talk about it because I know all these people, they’re family, and they’re good friends of mine.”

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants, and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York.

Mayor Johnson tweeted after the crash: “As many of you have seen, a terrible tragedy happened in our city today during an air show. Many details remain unknown or unconfirmed at this time."

“The videos are heartbreaking. Please pray for the souls who took to the skies today to entertain and educate our families,” Johnson wrote in a separate tweet.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• November 12 two planes during the Second World War faced in the air at the Wings Over Dallas air show in Texas (video).

Read also on ForumDaily:

Shooting at the University of Virginia: three dead, two injured

Eight famous monuments of the USA and the world, hiding amazing secrets

US Post asks not to throw letters into blue boxes during the holiday season: what is the reason

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.