On Saturday at about 1:25 PM, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra collided and crashed during the Wings Over Dallas show, said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The airshow took place at Dallas Executive Airport, where onlookers watched in horror as the two planes collided, and burst into flames.
Debris from the crash fell on a nearby highway as clouds of smoke billowed into the air.
“I just stood there, I was in complete shock and disbelief,” said Anthony Montoya, a 27-year-old eyewitness. “Everybody around was gasping. Everybody was bursting into tears. Everybody was in shock.”
"As many of you have now seen, we have had a terrible tragedy in our city today during an airshow. Many details remain unknown or unconfirmed at this time. The @NTSB has taken command of the crash scene with @DallasPD and @DallasFireRes_q continuing to provide support," wrote Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson in a Tweet.
The airshow is scheduled around the same time as Veteran's Day, and is organized by the Commemorative Air Force, an educational association.
"Currently we do not have information on the status of the flight crews as emergency responders are working the accident," Leah Block, a spokesperson for Commemorative Air Force, said in a statement, but added that she believes five crew members were on the B-17 and one crew person was aboard the P-63.
According to multiple reports, the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will be launching investigations into Saturday's crash.