The six men who died when a World War II-era P-63 Kingcobra collided with a B-17 Flying Fortress in the Wings Over Dallas air show in Texas on Saturday have been identified.
The Commemorative Air Force, a nonprofit organization that showcases vintage aircraft, identified the six deceased men as:
- Terry Barker of Keller, Texas
- Craig Hutain of Montgomery, Texas
- Kevin “K5” Michels of Austin, Texas
- Dan Ragan of Dallas, Texas
- Leonard “Len” Root of Fort Worth, Texas
- Curt Rowe of Hilliard, Ohio
All six men were members of the Commemorative Air Force.
Video footage of the collision showed the P-63 Kingcobra converging with the flight path of the B-17 Flying Fortress, with the smaller plane hitting the bomber near where the left wing of the bomber connected with the fuselage of the aircraft. The collision caused the B-17’s fuselage to break in half and both aircraft fell to the ground and explode into flames.
According to the Allied Pilots Association, Barker and Root were crewmembers on the B-17 Flying Fortress when it crashed.
NBC reported Rowe served in the Ohio wing of the Civil Air Patrol for 30 years and volunteered as a crew member on the B–17.
Keller Mayor Armin Mizani identified Barker was an Army veteran and a former City Council member in Keller.
Root was a longtime aviation enthusiast who got his pilot’s license at the age of 16 and worked with American Airlines at its Dallas hub, starting as a flight engineer before becoming a co-pilot and then an airline captain.
Hutain was identified as the P-63 Kingcobra pilot. According to a Tora Tora Tora Airshow bio, Hutain began flying at the age of 10, worked as a flight instructor in college and started in the airline industry in 1982.
“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),” the International Council of Air Shows.
