TragicCollisionDuringDallasAirshow,PilotsMourned ByAlyssaJ.Cobb,AOPA

BELL P–63 KINGCOBRA AND BOEING B–17 FLYING FORTRESS COLLIDED DURING DALLAS AIRSHOW

By Alyssa J. Cobb

AOPA

All six people aboard a Bell P–63F Kingcobra and the Texas RaidersBoeing B–17G Flying Fortress died when the two aircraft collided midair Nov. 12 during the 2022 Commemorative Air Force Wings Over Dallas WWII Airshow at Dallas Executive Airport in Texas, the NTSB confirmed.

The CAF on Nov. 14 identified those killed in the midair: Craig Hutain, who was flying the P–63, and Terry Barker, Kevin “K5” Michels, Dan Ragan, Leonard “Len” Root, and Curtis Rowe in the B–17 operated by the CAF’s Gulf Coast Wing. There were no injuries on the ground, according to the NTSB.

The Houston-based warbirds collided at 1:22 p.m. Central time, a tragedy that canceled the remainder of the three-day airshow scheduled to go through Nov. 13. Graphic videos released on social media showed the two aircraft colliding at high speed. (Warning: Viewer beware that the midair collision footage is graphic.)

Six Airmen Mourned

The Commemorative Air Force on Nov. 14 identified the crewmembers who died while performing during the Wings Over Dallas WWII Airshow in Texas on November 12 as (top left to bottom right) Terry Barker, Craig Hutain, Kevin ‘K5’ Michels, Dan Ragan, Leonard ‘Len’ Root, and Curtis Rowe. (Images courtesy of CAF and AOPA)

NTSB Member Michael Graham told media that it was too early to determine whether pilot error or mechanical problems were involved and that a preliminary report would be released in four to six weeks, with a final report likely 12 to 18 months away.

The majority of the wreckage landed on airport property and what was outside the airport has been collected and turned over to the NTSB, Graham said. The NTSB is working with the FAA and CAF. Investigators are securing audio recordings from the tower; neither of the warbirds was equipped with flight data or cockpit voice recorders (they were not required to be). In addition, investigators have started interviewing formation crews and airshow operations staff, surveyed the accident site by drone, taken photographs by ground, and requested pilot training and aircraft maintenance records from the CAF. They are also analyzing radar and ground footage to determine the exact location of the midair.

Graham asked anyone who had photos or videos of the accident to send them to the NTSB via email.

Hutain, a United Airlines Boeing 777 pilot and Tora Tora Tora Airshows executive officer who was flying the Kingcobra, had about 34,500 hours and had flown many different warbirds, including the North American T–6 Texan and P–51

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Mustang, Bell P–63 Kingcobra and P–39 Airacobra, and Curtiss P–40 Warhawk, according to the Tora website. In addition to the Boeing 777, he also flew the Boeing 737, McDonnell Douglas MD-80, Dassault Falcon 50 and 900, and de Havilland Twin Otter and Dash 7.

During an interview with Vintage Aviation News at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in July, Hutain said he started flying with the CAF 14 years ago. He noted with a smile that he had just less than two years remaining to fly for the airlines before “flying warbirds full time.”

Hutain detailed the P–63F in the July interview, saying it was “one of one P63Fs in the entire world, and one of two that was ever made.” The pilot sits in front of the engine in this tricycle-gear fighter.

“The CAF’s mission is to educate and inspire and certainly entertain,” he said. “This airplane does that. I like to think that I have a small part in that as well.”

Barker was a U.S. Army veteran; retired airline pilot; and former city councilman for Keller, Texas, and served as the maintenance officer for the Gulf Coast Wing. Keller Mayor Armin Mizani said on Facebook, “Terry Barker was beloved by many. He was a friend and someone whose guidance I often sought. Even after retiring from serving on the City Council and flying for American Airlines, his love for community was unmistakable.

“Yesterday he was flying to honor the greatest generation. Today, the Field of Honor in front of Keller Town Hall will remain standing an additional week in his honor.”

Michels, who was also a crewmember on Texas Raiders, served as the Gulf Coast Wing’s historian, and provided video tours of the warbird. Michels penned “The History of B-17G Texas Raiders,” writing that “As of 2021, there are just four B-17’s still actively flying in the world.”

In 2015, Michels likened piloting the Flying Fortress to “flying a [Mack] truck with no power steering.” He also said the bomber was designed to “take combat damage and still bring the crew home.”

Ragan served as the radioman on Texas Raiders “when it was … a PB-1W in the US Navy,” the CAF Gulf Coast Wing’s B-17 Texas Raiders Facebook page explained. He rejoined the B–17’s crew in 2019 with the CAF.

Root was a retired airline pilot and training officer for the Gulf Coast Wing of the CAF. The wing’s Texas Raiders page said that Root earned his B–17 type rating in 1995 and was among the wing’s most senior B–17 pilots.

Rowe, a member of the Ohio Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, was also on board the B–17. According to 10WBNS, a Columbus, Ohio, area outlet, he was a mechanic on the Flying Fortress.

During a press conference just hours after the accident, CAF President and CEO Hank Coates said the organization “is an extremely close-knit family” and that “the pilots are very well trained.” This was the seventh year the CAF had hosted the airshow at its headquarters in Dallas. The three-day event was billed as “the Nation’s Premiere World War II Airshow.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with those involved in the accident and their families,” the CAF said in a statement on

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Let it Snow

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• $2,350,167 to Boeing Field/King County International Airport in Seattle, Washington

An additional $13.6 million is to develop de-icing facilities, including: • $9,776,486 to Atlantic City International Airport in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey to construct a deicing containment facility. • $3,301,240 Great Falls International Airport in Great Falls, Montana to construct a de-icing pad. • $277,777 to Williston Basin International Airport in Williston, North Dakota to construct a de-icing pad.

The final $16.4 million will construct and renovate buildings that house and maintain snow removal equipment, including: • $4,569,500 to Greenbrier Valley Airport in Lewisburg, West Virginia

• $2,694,567 to Bellingham International Airport in Bellingham, Washington • $2,189,414 to Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport in Brainerd, Minnesota • $936,625 to Mammoth Yosemite Airport in Mammoth Lake, California

The funding is from the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program. The program pays for a variety of projects including construction of new and improved airport facilities, repairs to runways and taxiways, maintenance of airfield elements such as lighting or signage, and the purchase of equipment needed to operate and maintain airports.

View snow removal and de-icing equipment in action and view a data visualization of the airports receiving grants for winter weather preparedness at the FAA website, faa.gov.

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AOPA’S AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE RELEASES EARLY ANALYSIS: WINGS OVER DALLAS MIDAIR VIDEO

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute (ASI) on Nov. 16 released a new video from its Early Analysis series providing an initial examination of a recent tragic accident.

On Nov. 12, 2022, a Bell P-63F Kingcobra and a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress collided midair during the 2022 Commemorative Air Force Wings Over Dallas WWII Airshow at Dallas Executive Airport in Texas. No one on the ground was injured. Sadly, all six people aboard the two airplanes died in the crash.

“In Early Analysis: Wings over Dallas Midair, the AOPA Air Safety Institute wants to help pilots understand what is known about the accident as we look at factors that are likely to be a subject of the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board,” said AOPA’s ASI senior vice president Richard McSpadden.

McSpadden continued, “Airshows use deconfliction plans to flow traffic through show lines in front of the crowd. From video footage and eyewitness accounts, it appears that one of the two airplanes did not adhere to its prep-briefed show line. The P-63 flew a continuousbanked turn as it approached the show line and collided with the B-17, which was on a straight and level flight path.”

“Once again, we see the danger of an extended, banked turn to roll out on a projected flight path – especially risky in a low-wing aircraft coming in high to low where you are completely blinded to the flight path below you,” McSpadden concluded.

Early Analysis videos provide an initial assessment of prominent mishaps that generate large public interest and may indicate important safety lessons for the general aviation community.

View the video on the AOPA website, www.aopa.org or directly at https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/online-learning/early-analysis/RBDAirshowMidair

On behalf of its board, staff, and members, the International Council of Air Shows offers its heartfelt condolences to the families of those individuals involved in the recent accident in Dallas and to our colleagues in the Commemorative Air Force (CAF).

In response, the International Council of Air Shows Foundation, in association with the CAF, is accepting donations for the families of those

HOWTO SUPPORTTHE FAMILIES

involved in the accident. To donate, go to https://airshowfoundation.org/support/ , select “Donation in honor or memory of an individual” and type “CAF” as the “Name of Memorialized”. 100 percent of the money collected through this effort will be provided to the families as emergency funding, with all received funds being split equally amongst those families impacted.

Note for international donors. The ICAS Foundation is not able to process international donations. They are aware of an issue with their website and are working to resolve it. Until then, you can call ICAS directly at (703) 779-8510. When you indicate that you want to make a donation for the families of the accident in Dallas, you will be transferred to an individual who will assist you in making the donation.

The ICAS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and follows all IRS guidelines. Although most donations made to the ICAS Foundation are tax deductible, please consult with your individual tax adviser to confirm the deductibility of your contribution. EIN: 38-2885409.

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its website Nov. 12.

The B–17 and P–63 were owned by the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum. The P–63F was the only flying aircraft of that model in the world, according to Warbird Digest.

The B–17, first called Model 299 by Boeing, took its maiden flight on July 28, 1935. A reporter dubbed it the “Flying Fortress,” and the U.S. Army Air Corps named it the B-17, according to Boeing. The four-engine bomber could accommodate two pilots, a bombardier, a navigator, a radio operator, and gunners. The B-17 entered World War II in 1941.

The P-63, a 408-mph fighter that could be fitted with a 37 mm cannon and four .50caliber machine guns, was widely used by the Soviet Union during World War II.

The CAF was “founded to find and preserve World War II-era combat aircraft for the education and enjoyment of present and future generations.”

AOPA will continue to provide updates on their website (www.aopa.org) as more information is made available. The CAF website, commemorativeairforce.org, is also releasing additional information as it becomes available.

FATAL HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT ACCIDENTS REMAIN UNDER HISTORIC AVERAGE

Fatal amateur-built aircraft accidents remained under the historic average over the 12-month period ending in Sept. 2022, but EAA notes that an uptick over the previous year’s total shows that focused efforts to enhance safety even further remain essential.

For the federal fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2022, the FAA reported there were 56 fatal accidents in experimental category aircraft over the preceding 12 months, including 39 in amateur-built aircraft. That compares to 42 total accidents – 33 in amateur-built aircraft – during the 12-month period between Oct. 2020 and Sept. 2021.

“The fatal accident totals, for both amateur-builts and experimental aircraft overall, remain 30 to 35 percent below where they were just a decade ago, including when looking at the three-year rolling average on which the FAA bases its annual not-to-exceed number,” said Sean Elliott, EAA’s vice president of advocacy and safety. “While that’s good news, we never want to see an annual increase in the totals. That’s a reminder that we all must continue to work to make safety the top priority even with the small numbers we see each year.” The higher accident totals in experimental category aircraft mirror an increase for all of general aviation over the same 12-month period. This also coincides with preliminary figures that show an increase in flight hours in 2021 and into 2022.

“EAA has been deeply involved in FAA’s safety analysis teams for several years, and we consistently see that experimental aircraft accident causes are very similar to accident causes for all GA accidents,” Elliott said. “It shows that the accidents overwhelmingly do not occur because a pilot is flying an amateur-built or experimental aircraft, but because of factors relating to pilot decision-making or flight procedures. Those are areas where EAA safety programs and resources can make a difference.”

EAA has worked closely with the FAA and NTSB on recommendations to reduce fatal accidents, through participation in the FAA General Aviation Joint Safety Committee. Efforts have also included thousands of copies of the EAA Flight Test Manual now in the hands of amateur-built aircraft owners and the increasing use of an additional safety pilot during initial flight-testing in amateur-built aircraft. Other safety initiatives ranging from regular safety webinars have also put the spotlight on safety for experimental category aircraft.

Experimental aircraft accident totals also compare favorably to many other recreational pursuits that carry risk factors, ranging from boating to operation of all-terrain vehicles. Learn more on the EAA website, eaa.org.

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