Six people were killed following two World War II planes collided in Dallas on Saturday.
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Footage of the crash has gone viral on social media. The tragedy occurred during an air show when a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber and a Bell P-63 KingCobra fighter collided in flight.
Authorities in the region confirmed the deaths this morning, via Twitter.
« […] there were a total of 6 deaths during the air show incident during the ‘Wings Over Dallas’ air show incident. Authorities will continue to work on the investigation today. Please pray for their families and everyone involved,” a Dallas County official said.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson tweeted that “no spectators or anyone on the ground were injured.”
The pilots’ union Allied Pilots Association confirmed on Saturday evening that two of its retired members had died on board the B-17.
“Our hearts go out to their families, friends, past and current colleagues,” the union said in a statement.
During a press conference shortly following the tragedy, the chief of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) which organized the event, Hank Coates, declared that the B-17 normally operates with four or five crew members, while that the P-63 has only one pilot.
He added that the pilots who operate these planes during such shows were experienced volunteers with “very extensive training”, and that they were often retired military pilots.