WASHINGTON — A tragic collision of two historic military aircraft during a 2022 air show in Texas has been attributed to inadequate planning that failed to ensure aircraft were kept at safe distances from one another. Instead of maintaining separation, the pilots relied on a “see-and-avoid strategy,” as stated by federal investigators on Monday.
The incident involved a Bell P-63F fighter aircraft, which was in a maneuvering descent, when it struck the left wing of a Boeing B-17G bomber from behind. The crash resulted in the loss of all six lives on board, which included the fighter’s pilot and the bomber’s pilot, co-pilot, and three additional crew members.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that the pilots faced limitations in visibility due to the specific flight paths they were following, cockpit obstructions, and the intense focus required for the air show performance.
The board concluded that the incident’s probable cause was the failure to conduct a thorough briefing regarding aircraft separation by the event organizer and the “air boss.” The air boss relied on binoculars and radio communication to guide the planes, without the necessary background preparation. Instead, there was an over-reliance on the real-time directives from the air boss and the informal see-and-avoid policy for preventing collisions.
The air show was hosted by the Commemorative Air Force, an organization dedicated to the preservation of military aviation. At the time of this report, there had been no immediate response from the group regarding the investigators’ findings.
These recent findings align closely with the preliminary assessments made by the board in late 2022, drawing attention from aviation safety experts. Many were astonished by the absence of a before-show briefing that focused on altitude separation—a common safety measure in similar events. An individual familiar with the air show operations mentioned that pilots were provided with basic altitude guidelines in a pre-show meeting, but detailed specifications for each aircraft’s maneuvers were lacking.
Furthermore, the NTSB criticized the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for not providing adequate guidance for air bosses and air show organizers, as well as for failing to enforce ongoing assessments of the air bosses’ performance. The board has announced plans to release a comprehensive report on the circumstances surrounding the accident this Thursday.