- Date
- November 12, 2022, 13:22 local (19:22 UTC)
- Place
- Dallas, TX · On airport property
- Injuries
- 6 fatal
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Defining events
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Midair collisionManeuvering-low-alt flying: Midair collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 2024
- Report
- Board-adopted by Notation
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Commemorative Air Force, International Council of Air Shows, FAA AVP-100
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- Case key
- 106276
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
the air boss’s and air show event organizer’s lack of an adequate, prebriefed aircraft separation plan for the air show performance, relying instead on the air boss’s real-time deconfliction directives and the see-and-avoid strategy for collision avoidance, which allowed for the loss of separation between the Boeing B-17G and the Bell P-63F airplanes. Also causal was the diminished ability of the accident pilots to see and avoid the other aircraft due to flight path geometry, out-the-window view obscuration by aircraft structures, attention demands associated with the air show performance, and the inherent limitations of human performance that can make it difficult to see another aircraft. Contributing to the accident were the lack of FAA guidance for air bosses and air show event organizers on developing plans and performing risk assessments that ensure the separation of aircraft that are not part of an approved maneuvers package and the lack of FAA requirements and guidance for recurrent evaluations of air bosses and direct surveillance of their performance.
Findings · 12
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
N7227C · Boeing B17
Policy/procedure: adequacy of policy/procProbable causePressures/demands: other pressure/demandProbable causeSafety programs: adequacy of safety programProbable causePerception/orientation/illusion: perceptionProbable causeSensory ability/limitationProbable causeOversight: oversight of operationProbable causeN6763 · Bell P63
Policy/procedure: adequacy of policy/procProbable causePerception/orientation/illusion: perceptionProbable causePressures/demands: other pressure/demandProbable causeSafety programs: adequacy of safety programProbable causeSensory ability/limitationProbable causeOversight: oversight of operationProbable causeAnalysis
On November 12, 2022, about 1322 central standard time, a Boeing B-17G airplane, N7227C, and a Bell P-63F airplane, N6763, collided in flight during a performance at the Commemorative Air Force’s (CAF) Wings Over Dallas air show at Dallas Executive Airport (KRBD) in Dallas, Texas. The pilot, copilot, flight engineer, and two scanners on board the Boeing B 17G and the pilot of the Bell P-63F were fatally injured, and both airplanes were destroyed. No injuries to persons on the ground were reported. Both accident airplanes (and six other historic, former military airplanes that were airborne as part of the same performance) were operated by the CAF under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 and a certificate of waiver for the air show. The Boeing B 17G and the Bell P-63F departed from KRBD about 1310 and 1315, respectively, for the local flights.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
N7227C · Boeing B17
Midair collisionDefining eventN6763 · Bell P63
Midair collisionDefining eventAircraft · 2
- Registration
- N7227C
- Reported as
- Boeing B17 (G)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 44-83872
- Built
- 1944
- Airframe hours
- 9,239
- Engines
- Wright R-1820-97, 1,200 horsepower, reciprocatingWright R-1820-97, 1,200 horsepower, reciprocatingWright R-1820-97, 1,200 horsepower, reciprocatingWright R-1820-97, 1,200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Air race/show · Part 91
- Operator
- Commemorative Air Force
- Registered owner
- American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Limited (Special)
- Last inspection
- AAIP · November 1, 2022 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- KRBD · Dallas, TX
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- RBD · Dallas Executive
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
- Registration
- N6763
- Reported as
- Bell P63 (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 43-11719
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 1,232
- Engine
- Allison V-1710-135, 1,425 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Air race/show · Part 91
- Operator
- Commemorative Air Force
- Registered owner
- American Airpower Heritage Flying Mu
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · March 23, 2023 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- KRBD · Dallas, TX
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 3
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N7227C
- Age
- 66
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 21, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 28,000 total · 500 in this make and model · 24,000 as pilot in command · 1.7 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Co-pilot, aircraft N7227C
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 15, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 25,300 total · 90 in this make and model · 20,000 as pilot in command · 0.3 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N6763
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificates
- Commercial, Remote, Flight engineer, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 19, 2022
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 34,500 total · 108 in this make and model · 20,000 as pilot in command · 7.8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 14 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.30 inHg
- Observed at
- KRBD
- METAR
- METAR KRBD 121853Z 35014G18KT 10SM CLR 09/M04 A3030 RMK AO2 SLP263 T00891044=
Docket · 53
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 8, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 172 MB in all.