Image: MarkusundMeli, CC BY 3.0
DALLAS — Federal and local investigators are continuing to probe the tragic accident that claimed six lives during the “Wings Over Dallas” airshow over Veterans Day weekend. Pilots aboard a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra were all killed when the planes struck each other in mid-air and crashed to the ground. The accident was caught on video as over 4,000 horrified spectators looked on. No one on the ground was injured and authorities are now trying to determine if pilot and/or mechanical errors were factors in the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is also trying to find out why the planes were flying at the same altitude and in the same air space.
The deadly crash has renewed calls for stricter oversight at airshows and the accident comes just 3 years after a deadly bomber accident in Connecticut that claimed the lives of seven. It has been reported that the company who owned the planes at the Dallas show has had other incidents in the past.
Investigations stemming from these types of incidents are extremely thorough and it could take up to 18 months for a final report to be released by the NTSB. In the meantime, additional safety measures for airshows are almost guaranteed, particularly when vintage aircraft are involved. Neither aircraft was equipped with a flight data recorder (black box) since they were not required, but an NTSB official stated that making them mandatory in older aircraft may be recommended at a later time.
The tragic incident resulted in the cancellation of the Wings Over Dallas event, which was scheduled to run through Sunday.
