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Two aircraft collide at Dallas Air Show 2022

Goddamn… Anyone in the B-17 never had a clue or a chance. At least it would have been mercifully fast for those who died.
 
Looks to me like the Kingcobra was trying to rejoin the B17 and was carrying way too much speed.
 
Looks to me like the Kingcobra was trying to rejoin the B17 and was carrying way too much speed.
…and a cardinal sin on rejoining of putting lead out of sight, especially on a flat rejoin to echelon.
 
Looks like an intended echelon left rejoin. Closure rate of #2 was too high and although initial rejoin vector was further aft of lead, the increase in bank of #2 to put on Gs to bleed off excess speed brought its vector forward enough to intersect with lead’s flight path…which unfortunately with the increased left bank put lead out of #2’s field of view and it kept turning tighter to get into position. Loss of sight of lead by #2 in a rejoin normally should dictate a break off from last known position of lead to establish separation.
 
Front angle video shows constant bank angle on the fighter, so a greater likelihood of more poorly executed/set-up rejoin setup from further back …or there was not a rejoin and the fighter was trying to ‘same way, same day’ (non-formation) join the larger group of aircraft flying straight along the show line. Unofficial death count at *6 (5 in B-17, 1 in P-63).

 
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There is reporting on Youtube that fighters were on an inside circuit and the B17 was on an outside circuit. There was no formation flying, so somebody (either the Kingcobra or the B17) was out of position.
 
There is reporting on Youtube that fighters were on an inside circuit and the B17 was on an outside circuit. There was no formation flying, so somebody (either the Kingcobra or the B17) was out of position.
Just seeing that now. Looks like several bombers were on a straight-in (left to right) along the show line.
 
Nasty accident. I reckon new rules will be initiated asp
Not to take this off topic, but suppose there were adequate and appropriate rules in place, but they were not being obeyed?

The reflex in response to situations such as this is always to increase the number of regulations. But that doesn't help if the root cause is that the rules are not being followed. Let's hold off on judgement until the investigation(s) are complete.

My sympathies to those involved.
 
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