2022 Dallas airshow mid-air collision
On November 12, 2022, two World War II–era aircraft, a B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra, collided mid-air and crashed during the Wings Over Dallas airshow at Dallas Executive Airport in Dallas, Texas, United States. The collision occurred at 1:22 p.m. local time (CST, UTC−6). The airshow, which coincided with Veterans Day commemorations, was organized by the Commemorative Air Force.
The destruction of the two aircraft immediately after colliding; the forward section of Texas Raiders is visible at center-left, while the tail can be seen just below it, behind the vehicles in the foreground. | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 12, 2022 13:22 UTC−6 (1:22 PM CST) |
| Summary | Mid-air collision at Wings Over Dallas airshow, under investigation |
| Site | Dallas Executive Airport (RBD), Dallas, Texas 32°40′25″N 96°51′45″W |
| Total fatalities | 6 |
| Total survivors | 0 |
| First aircraft | |
| N7227C, the B-17G involved in the accident, in October 2019 | |
| Type | Boeing B-17G-95-DL/PB-1W Flying Fortress |
| Name | Texas Raiders |
| Operator | American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum |
| Registration | N7227C 44-83872 (s/n) 77235 (BuNo) |
| Flight origin | Dallas Executive Airport, Dallas, Texas |
| Occupants | 5 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 5 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Second aircraft | |
| N6763, the Bell P-63F involved in the accident, in October 2019 | |
| Type | Bell P-63F-1-BE Kingcobra |
| Operator | American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum |
| Registration | N6763 43-11719 (s/n) |
| Flight origin | Dallas Executive Airport, Dallas, Texas |
| Occupants | 1 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Just before the crash, the air boss directed the bomber formation to fly parallel to the spectator viewing line, while the fighters were instructed to enter a trail formation and fly in front of the bombers. According to witnesses, the P-63F executed a high-speed descending banked turn onto the runway approach, colliding with the B-17 and causing both planes to break apart and burst into flames.
The B-17 had a crew of five, while the P-63 had a single occupant. All six died as confirmed by the Dallas County Medical Examiner. Both aircraft were destroyed on impact. On November 30, the NTSB released a preliminary report, highlighting the absence of altitude deconfliction briefings and revealing that the P-63's GPS navigator failed to record any information during the flight, with the ATC audio released on January 12, 2023, confirming no altitude advice was provided.