Inadequate planning cited for deadly mid-air collision at 2022 Dallas air show: National Transportation Safety Board
WASHINGTON – Inadequate prebriefing, lack of oversight and insufficient administrative risk controls led to the deadly mid-air collision of two World War II-era warbirds at a Dallas air show in 2022, the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday.
Six people were killed as a result of the crash during the Commemorative Air Force's Wings Over Dallas event on Nov. 12, 2022, at Dallas Executive Airport.
The collision involved a Boeing B-17G bomber and a Bell P-63F fighter. All five aboard the B-17G and the lone occupant of the P-63F died.
No other injuries were reported on the ground or to anyone on the other six planes involved in the show, the NTSB said.
The NTSB said the collision occurred during a repositioning turn involving eight airplanes. The P-63F struck the left wing of the B-17G from behind.
An analysis of an NTSB-conducted visibility simulation study determined that the pilots involved in the accident had "limited ability to see and avoid each other's airplane due to flight path geometry and out-the-window view obscuration by aircraft structures," according to the NTSB.
The air boss directed maneuvers but lacked a "deconfliction plan," and the pilots found the instructions confusing, the NTSB said.
"The air boss, equipped with binoculars and a two-way radio, directed the air show pilots' inflight maneuvers and ground movements from atop a set of stairs on the airfield," the federal agency said in a news release. "Investigators found that although the air boss had conducted the FAA-required preshow briefing, no deconfliction plan to ensure vertical or lateral separation between airplanes was discussed, nor did current regulations require it.
"In interviews of crewmembers of the other airplanes performing in the air show, some pilots said they were confused by the air boss's long stream of instructions. The NTSB found that the air show industry lacks standardized terms to impart directives to the pilots. And investigators said that the air boss's deconfliction strategy was ineffective because the flight paths of the B-17G and the P-63F converged as each pilot maneuvered toward their respective show lines."
The NTSB found collision risks to be insufficiently considered by the FAA and the International Council of Air Shows.
Additional safety issues, the NTSB said, included:
- Lack of a risk assessment plan
- Unclear communication directives
- No recurrent evaluations for air bosses
- Inadequate safety assessment and reporting within the Commemorative Air Force
- Insufficient regulatory oversight
Recommendations have been made to the FAA, the International Council of Air Shows and the Commemorative Air Force.
Meanwhile, the Commemorative Air Force – which organized the event – issued the following statement:
"The Commemorative Air Force will continue reviewing new information and recommendations and their impact on our operations. We sincerely thank the NTSB and all individuals who continue to contribute to this process. We recognize the care, professionalism, and dedication that went into its creation and are grateful for their diligent work.
"We remain committed to upholding our organization's highest safety standards and will keep our community informed as we move forward with this process."
The Commemorative Air Force recently said the 2022 accident was the first air show incident for the organization in 17 years.
The NTSB said a final report will be published on Thursday.
