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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 14 noveMber 2022
Investigation underway over midair crash at Dallas air show

example, any pilot who ran
into trouble could break
out of formation and go to
a designated area free of
other planes that is identi-
fied by a landmark of some
kind.
The B-17, a cornerstone of
U.S. air power during World
War II, is an immense four-
engine bomber used in
daylight raids against Ger-
many. 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 muse-
ums and air shows, accord-
ing to Boeing.
The Commemorative Air
Force has had previous
crashes during its more than
60-year history, including
a deadly 1995 crash near
Odessa, Texas, involving a
B-26 bomber that killed five
crew members, accord-
ing to an NTSB report. The
Debris from two planes that crashed during an airshow at Dallas Executive Airport lie on the ground Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022.
Associated Press plane crashed while prac-
ticing for an air show. The
By JUAN A. LOZANO, JOSH identify the victims, he said. the FAA said in a state- Several videos posted on NTSB determined that the
FUNK and LM OTERO Dallas Fire-Rescue told The ment. social media showed the probable cause was the
Associated Press Dallas Morning News there Officials did not specify fighter plane flying into the failure of the pilot to main-
DALLAS (AP) — National were no reports of injuries how many people were in- bomber, causing them to tain minimum airspeed for
transportation officials are on the ground. side each plane, but Hank quickly crash to the ground flight. In 2001, two separate
in Dallas on Sunday inves- Armin Mizani, the mayor of Coates, president of Com- and setting off a large ball West Texas crashes involv-
tigating the cause of the Keller, Texas, said Terry Bark- memorative Air Force, the of fire and smoke. ing planes owned by the
midair crash of two historic er, a retired pilot for Ameri- company that owns the Air shows must obtain spe- group — one in April and
military planes during an can Airlines, was in the planes and put on the air cial waivers from the FAA one in May — killed three
air show that left six people B-17 bomber that crashed. show, said one of the air- and all of the pilots have people. In June 2005, two
dead. Mizani is the mayor of the craft, a B-17 Flying Fortress to demonstrate their skills people were killed when a
A World War II-era bomber town where Barker lived bomber, typically has a in low flying and other ma- single-engine plane owned
and a fighter plane collided and said he learned of Bak- crew of four to five people. neuvers used in air shows, by the group crashed in
and crashed to the ground er’s death from his family. The other, a P-63 Kingcobra said John Cox, a former air- Williamson, Georgia.
in a ball of flames on Sat- Mizani said Barker’s death fighter plane, has a single line captain with more than The Commemorative Air
urday, leaving crumpled has been difficult for his pilot. The aircraft are flown 50 years’ experience. Cox Force, previously called
wreckage in a grassy area town of 50,000, where by highly trained volun- is also founder of Safety the Confederate Air Force
inside the Dallas Executive many of its residents know teers, often retired pilots, Operating Systems, a com- until members changed its
Airport perimeter, about 10 each other. he said. pany that helps smaller air- name in 2001 to avoid any
miles (16 kilometers) from “It’s definitely a big loss in John Cudahy is president lines and corporate flight association with the Civil
the city’s downtown. our community,” he said. of the International Council services from around the War, had been headquar-
The crash came three years “We’re grieving.” of Air Shows, a trade group world with safety planning. tered in Midland, Texas, but
after the crash of a bomber Barker was an Army vet- that sets the standards air Each air show is overseen relocated to Dallas in 2014.
in Connecticut that killed eran who flew helicopters shows follow and oversees by an “air boss” who serves Wings Over Dallas bills it-
seven, and amid ongoing during his military service. the training of pilots and air as the flight controller for self as “America’s Premier
concern about the safety He later worked for Ameri- bosses. Cudahy said that the event, Cox said. World War II Airshow,” ac-
of air shows involving older can Airlines for 36 years be- typically at air shows there “If there’s any adjustments cording to a website ad-
warplanes. The company fore retiring in 2020, Mizani is a Friday rehearsal where that have to be made, it’s vertising the event. The
that owned the planes fly- said. The National Transpor- the pilots fly through the en- the air boss that makes show was scheduled for
ing in the Wings Over Dallas tation Safety Board took tire show to practice, so the those calls and the pilots Nov. 11-13, Veterans Day
show has had other crash- control of the crash scene, Saturday show is actually comply with that,” he said. weekend, and guests were
es in its more than 60-year with local police and fire the second time the pilots In addition, any pilot with to see more than 40 World
history. providing support, Dallas have flown the show. There a mechanical problem War II-era aircraft. Its Sat-
The crash claimed six lives, Mayor Eric Johnson said. are also detailed briefings would announce it to the urday afternoon schedule
Dallas County Judge Clay The Federal Aviation Ad- each day to go over the air boss, he said. of flying demonstrations
Jenkins tweeted Sunday, ministration also was going plan for the air show and Air shows typically rely on included the “bomber pa-
citing the county medi- to investigate, officials said. cover exactly where each extremely detailed plans, rade” and “fighter escorts”
cal examiner. Authorities The planes collided and pilot will be and their roles including contingencies for that featured the B-17 and
are continuing to work to crashed about 1:20 p.m., in the show. emergencies, Cox said. For P-63.q