What we know so far about the victims in the Dallas air show plane collision
Mirna Alsharif and Courtney Brogle
Mon, November 14, 2022
All
six people who died in
Saturday's midair collision of two vintage aircraft at the Wings Over Dallas Airshow have been identified.
Terry Barker, Craig Hutain, Kevin Michels, Dan Ragan, Leonard Root and Curt Rowe were all members of the
Commemorative Air Force, a Texas nonprofit group “dedicated to flying and restoring World War II aircraft” and the host of the air show, according to its website.
"We are heartbroken to announce that the following members of the Commemorative Air Force went west on Saturday, November 12, 2022, at the Wings Over Dallas WWII Airshow while performing," the group said in a statement.
"Please join us in mourning the loss of our good friends and fellow airmen.”
The crash occurred around 1:20 p.m. Saturday, when the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra collided at the Dallas Executive Airport, according to information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration.
According to Commemorative Air Force CEO and President Hank Coates, there's a very strict process of training for volunteers, who are vetted very carefully and are mostly retired pilots.
"These are very well trained folks that have been doing it for a while," he said at a news conference on Saturday.
The Commemorative Air Force did not specify which men were on board the Flying Fortress and which of the victims were on the Kingcobra when the planes collided.
Curt Rowe
Curt Rowe (Commemorative Air Force / via Facebook)
Maj. Curtis J. Rowe served for more than 30 years on the Ohio Wing of the Civil Air Patrol and "volunteered as a crew member on a vintage Boeing B–17 Flying Fortress for the Commemorative Air Force where he shared his passion for flying," according to a statement from the service.
"Curt touched the lives of thousands of his fellow Civil Air Patrol members, especially when flying cadets during hundreds of orientation flights over the course of his service," said Peter K. Bowden, the commander of the Ohio Wing.
During his time with the Civil Air Patrol, Rowe "served in positions ranging from Safety Officer to Operations Officer at the squadron and wing levels, with his most current position being Ohio Wing Maintenance Officer."
continued:
All six people who died in Saturday's midair collision of two vintage aircraft at the Wings Over Dallas Airshow have been identified.
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