DALLAS — Federal investigators examining the cause of the midair collision during a Dallas airshow that killed six people released nearly two thousand pages of investigative documents into the crash, but have yet to determine the likely cause.
On November 12, 2022, five people on board a B-17 Flying Fortress and the pilot of a P-63 King Cobra died when the two planes collided during the Wings over Dallas airshow that featured several World War II-era planes.
Initial findings released by investigators in late 2022 showed the air boss told the fighter formation to transition to a trail formation, fly in front of the bomber formation, and head toward the 500-foot show line. The bombers were told to fly down the 1,000-foot show line.
The NTSB report says the 500-foot show line and the 1,000-foot show line were 500 feet and 1,000 feet from the airshow viewing line, behind where the audience viewed the show.
NTSB says altitude maneuvers weren’t discussed before the flight or while the airplanes were in the air. According to the data, when the fighter formation approached the designated performance area, the P-63 King Cobra was in a left bank and collided with the left side of the B-17 Flying Fortress, just behind of the wing section.
Audio released by the FAA after the wreck showed the "air boss," who conducts the show in the sky, giving directions to pilots that are now under key scrutiny by investigators.
"Nice job fighters. You're coming through first, that will work out. B-17 and all the bombers on the 1,000-foot line," and "Fighters will be a big pull up and to the right," are among the final commands recorded on the released transcript.
The Chief Aviation Officer for the Commemorative Air Force (CAF), which owned and operated the show, told the NTSB "That was not planned. That was audible. I'm just going to come right out and say it," according to a newly released transcript.
The CAF now tells the NTSB it has new rules for pilots not to follow air boss instructions different from the initial plan, according to transcripts.
Transcripts of NTSB interviews indicate the pilots may never have been instructed how far apart vertically they should have been. An interview summary shows the air boss told investigators "I would never give a minimum separation," he said.
He told investigators he wants pilots looking at the other plans -- not down at their instrument panel and altimeter.
The CAF Director of Operations told investigators both planes involved in the crash were "Where they were told to be when they were told to be there," according to the transcripts.
Additional documents in the release included autopsy results for the people onboard the planes, plane maintenance records, pilot training histories, photos of the crash, and data from the equipment on board the planes.
A final report from the NTSB on probable causes of the crash could still be months away.
When the NTSB released its preliminary report, CAF declined to speculate on the cause of the crash. A statement said:
"We are continuing to work with NTSB and are grateful for their diligence in looking into anything that could have been a factor to cause the accident. Until the NTSB’s final report comes out, we cannot speculate about any cause or causes that may have led to the accident. We will continue to post any updates on our website."