Dallas Air Show Crash: Mid-Air Vintage Aircraft Collision Kills Six

Six passengers were killed during a Dallas Air Show crash, wherein two vintage aircraft collided mid-air Saturday.

According to BBC, the vintage aircraft hit each other at a low altitude, breaking one in half and creating a fireball when it hits the ground.

One of the planes was a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. They were all taking part in a memorial air show near Dallas.

Between 4,000 and 6,000 people went to the Wings Over Dallas Airshow. Firefighters say that no one on the ground was hurt.

On Sunday, Dallas County County Judge Clay Jenkins tweeted, "According to our Dallas County Medical Examiner, there are a total of six fatalities from yesterday's Wings over Dallas air show incident."

One witness, Chris Kratovil, said he had "never seen a crowd grow quieter or more still in just a blink of an eye." He also said that there was burning wreckage in the middle of the airfield and that the crowd went from being relatively excited and active to being completely quiet and still. Many people, including him, pulled their kids away from the airfield.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it would investigate the crash during the three-day event. The event is being held in honor of Veterans Day and bills itself as the country's best World War II air show.

Eric Johnson, the mayor of Dallas, called it a "terrible tragedy."

"These videos are very sad. Please say a prayer for the people who went up in the air today to entertain and teach our families," he wrote on Twitter.

Four of the Six Crew Member Who Died During the Dallas Air Show Crash Were Identified

As officials investigate the disaster, many people have used social media to share their sadness, condolences, and nice things to say about the victims. Four of the six people who died have already been named. Here's what we do know about them:

Terry Barker

Keller Mayor Armin Mizani said that Terry Barker had served in the Army, been a city councilman, been married, and had children.

"Terry was a friend. He was someone I sought council for when I got started," Mizani told WFAA. "Always helping people. Husband, dad, Army veteran and a retired pilot."

In honor of Barker, the Field of Honor in front of Keller Town Hall will stay there for an additional week.

Maj. Curtis Rowe

Reports said that Maj. Curtis Rowe worked on the B-17 and was part of the crew.

The Ohio Wing of the Civil Air Patrol shared the news of his death on social media.

Rowe had a job with the patrol for more than 30 years. After he used his love of flying as a reason, the Commemorative Air Force let him join a B-17 crew as a volunteer.

Craig Hutain

Pilot Craig Hutain resided in Montgomery, Texas, close to Conroe in the Houston region.

Hutain "lit up any room he was in," said his friend, stating that they had flown together on and off for 25 years. He noted that Hutain was one of the best pilots he had ever flown with."

Len Root

Friends and the Allied Pilots Association, the union for American Airlines pilots, said that Len Root, the captain of American Airlines, was one of the people who died.

His friend described him as very technical and always stopped to listen to what people had to say.

Dallas Air Show Crash Destroyed Two Vintage Aircraft From World War II

The B-17 was kept at Conroe, Texas, a Houston suburb, as part of the Commemorative Air Force's "Texas Raiders" collection.

Only nine of the model's 45 fully surviving prototypes were flight ready, per CNN.

The P-63 was much rarer. There are believed to be 14 remaining specimens, four of which were airworthy in the United States, including one belonging to the Commemorative Air Force.

Between 1936 and 1945, Boeing, Douglas Aircraft, and Lockheed built over 12,000 B-17s, over 5,000 of which were lost in war, most of which were scrapped by the early 1960s.

From 1943 to 1945, Bell Aircraft produced about 3,300 P-63s, most of which were used by the Soviet Air Force during World War II.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Dallas air show crash: 6 people confirmed dead, says county judge - From WFAA