Tragedy in Dallas
At least 6 people killed during air show crash in Dallas
At least six people were killed when two vintage military planes collided during an airshow in Dallas on Saturday, officials said.
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said the two planes, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra, crashed into each other in midair during the Wings Over Dallas Airshow. While the number of casualties was unclear in the immediate hours after the crash, the Dallas County Medical Examiner later tweeted via Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, confirming that six people onboard the planes had died.
"Authorities will continue working today on the investigation & identification of the deceased. Please pray for their families and all involved," Jenkins added.
Emergency crews raced to the scene of the accident, which occurred about 10 miles from downtown Dallas, The Associated Press reported. Despite the massive emergency response, officials told The Dallas Morning News that nobody on the ground had been injured.
It is unclear how many total people were on the plane, or if there are expected to be any more deaths. However, Hank Coates, president of the Wings Over Dallas Airshow, told AP that the two planes typically had a combined crew of five to six people, with the Kingcobra having just a single pilot.
WFAA-TV reporter Jason Whitely tweeted a video of the accident, shot by one of the airshow attendees. The planes can be seen colliding with each other before plummeting to the ground in a fireball.