A collision of military planes left a pilot and five crew members dead at the Dallas air show over the weekend.

By G9ija

The collision occurred after the planes burst into flames in midair during an air show at the Dallas Executive Airport, leaving all six victims killed.

The incident involved two historic World War II aircraft, which were identified on Monday as investigators said it was still too early to tell what caused the accident.

The Commemorative Air Force confirmed the names of the B-17 Flying Fortress and P-63 Kingcobra flight crews killed in the accident at the Wings Over Dallas World War II Airshow on Saturday.

The five crew members aboard the B-17 included Terry Barker, Leonard “Len” Root, Curt Rowe, Kevin “K5” Michels and Dan Ragan. The pilot of the P-63 was identified as Craig Hussain.

Here is what to know about the six victims so far:

Barker was an Army veteran who flew helicopters during his military service. He later worked for American Airlines for 36 years before retiring in 2020, Keller, Texas, Mayor Armin Mizani said.

Barker was also a husband, father, and former Keller city councilman.

Root was also a retired American Airlines pilot. The Allied Pilots Association said both Root and Barker were retired members.

Maj. Curtis J. Rowe, a member of the Ohio Wing Civil Air Patrol, was a crew chief on the B-17.

The Ohio Wing Civil Air Patrol (CAP) said Rowe served with the volunteer auxiliary for more than 30 years. 

Rowe held every possible aircrew rating and earned his Command Pilot Rating. He served in multiple positions at both squadron and wing levels during his decades of experience, including Safety Officer Operations Officer, the CAP said. His most recent position was Ohio Wing Maintenance Officer. 

Rowe, of Hilliard, Ohio, did air shows several times a year because he fell in love with WWII aircraft, his brother-in-law Andy Keller told The Associated Press.

Michels was identified as one of the crew members aboard the B-17.

Ragan was identified as one of the crew members aboard the B-17.

He was a Korean War veteran, FOX4 Dallas Fort-Worth reported.

Craig Hutain was flying the single pilot P-63 Kingcobra.

Houston-based pilot Craig Hutain was flying the single pilot P-63 Kingcobra, FOX4 reported.

Hussain was a pilot for United Airlines and was planning to retire in a few years. 

Investigating the midair collision

In a photo provided by Larry Petterborg, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra collide in midair during an airshow at Dallas Executive Airport in Dallas on Saturday.

In another photo provided by Larry Petterborg, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra collide in midair during an airshow at Dallas Executive Airport in Dallas on Saturday. (Larry Petterborg via AP)

Several videos posted on social media showed the fighter plane appearing to fly into the bomber, causing them to quickly crash to the ground and setting off a large ball of fire and smoke.

Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were investigating the cause of the collision.

Investigators will examine the wreckage from both aircraft, conduct interviews of crews present at the air show and obtain pilot training and aircraft maintenance records.

In this photo provided by Nathaniel Ross Photography, a historic military plane crashes after colliding with another plane during an airshow at Dallas Executive Airport in Dallas on Saturday. (Nathaniel Ross Photography via AP)

“We’ll look at everything that we can and we’ll let the evidence basically lead us to the appropriate conclusions. At this point, we will not speculate” on the cause, NTSB member Michael Graham during a news conference.

A preliminary report from the NTSB is expected in four to six weeks, while a final report will take up to 18 months to complete.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.