WWII bomber, fighter aircraft collide midair at Texas airshow

DALLAS — Two WWII-era aircraft collided and crashed to the ground in front of spectators at an airshow in Dallas, Saturday afternoon.

The Federal Aviation Administration said that a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra collided and crashed around 1:20 p.m. Saturday.

According to KDFW, the accident occurred at Dallas Executive Airport during the Commemorative Air Force Wings Over Dallas show.

Officials said it was unclear how many people were on board both aircraft.

“Currently we do not have information on the status of the flight crews as emergency responders are working the accident,” Leah Block, a spokesperson for Commemorative Air Force, said in a statement obtained by ABC News. The aircraft was not giving rides at the time of the collision Block said.

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Debris from the collision fell onto a nearby highway, according to WFAA.

According to The Associated Press, the B-17 is a large four-engine bomber and was a cornerstone of U.S. air power during World War II. The Kingcobra, a U.S. fighter plane, was used mostly by Soviet forces during the war. Most B-17s were scrapped at the end of World War II and only a handful remain today, largely featured at museums and air shows, according to Boeing.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson reached out on social media following the accident.

“As many of you have now seen, we have had a terrible tragedy in our city today during an airshow. Many details remain unknown or unconfirmed at this time. The @NTSB has taken command of the crash scene with @DallasPD and @DallasFireRes_q continuing to provide support,” Johnson wrote on Twitter.

Wings Over Dallas bills itself as “America’s Premier World War II Airshow,” according to a website advertising the event. The show was scheduled for Nov. 11-13, Veterans Day weekend, and guests were to see more than 40 World War II-era aircrafts, the AP reported.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board were launching investigations.

Check back for more on this developing story.

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