Two planes crash mid-air in Texas

A WWII-era B17 bomber and a smaller fighter disintegrated after colliding at an air show

Two planes were destroyed in a mid-air collision at an air show in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday. The flight paths of a B-17 bomber and a smaller fighter aircraft crossed, resulting in a devastating accident. 

Video footage shot at the event showed the four-engined B-17 flying low over Dallas Executive Airport when the smaller plane – a Bell P-63 Kingcobra – crossed its path at high speed. Both aircraft broke apart on impact and exploded upon hitting the ground. 

As a shower of debris rained down, at least one pilot appeared to deploy a parachute.  

The status of the pilots is currently unclear, and no casualties from the falling debris have been reported at the time of writing. B-17 bombers typically flew with a crew of ten on board during wartime, but the makeup of the crew of the plane that crashed is not currently known. 

The incident took place at Wings Over Dallas, an annual show featuring aircraft from the Second World War, as well as military vehicles and historic reenactments.

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