Houston (The Hawk): Near the middle of an air display, two World War II-era aircraft collided in Dallas, Texas, in the United States.
Although the exact number of casualties is yet unknown, based on the occupancy of the two planes, up to six individuals are presumed dead.
The B-17 Flying Fortress bomber and the P-63 Kingcobra fighter were the two aircraft that collided. The number of people on board the aircraft was not disclosed by the officials, but according to Hank Coates, head of the business that organised the airshow, a P-63 has a single pilot and a crew of four to five for a B-17.
The two aircraft collided, exploding into a ball of flames and sending black smoke into the air. Multiple perspectives of the collision were captured on camera and posted online.
Nearly 16 kilometres outside the city's centre, at the Dallas Executive Airport, emergency personnel rushed to the scene of the accident. The jets' wreckage was seen in a grassy area inside the airport's perimeter in news footage from the incident. There were no injuries among those on the ground, Dallas Fire-Rescue reported to The Dallas Morning News.
Witnessing the collision of the two aircraft, Anthony Montoya said, "I remained still. I was utterly shocked and incredulous. Everyone in the area was gasping. Everyone started crying at once. Everyone was stunned."
According to Coates of Commemorative Air Force, which also owned the planes, there were no paying passengers on board. Highly skilled volunteers, frequently retired pilots, fly their planes, he claimed.
On Sunday, a group of National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators will reach the crash site.
(Inputs from Agencies)