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DALLAS, Texas — A former Utah resident is among the six victims of a deadly air show crash involving two vintage planes in Texas.
The planes collided during a "Wings Over Dallas" show on Saturday afternoon.
"That is their annual air show, the largest air show they do, and is attended by thousands and thousands of people," said Vintage Aviation Museum founder Sean O'Brien. "It takes a lot of skill, a lot of coordination. These are very professional people."
Among those killed in the air show crash is Dan Ragan, who lived in Utah for years.
"Not only did you lose an airplane, but more importantly, the loss of life and those historians. It's a sad day, it really is," O'Brien said.
The Commemorative Air Force Utah Wing, in a message to KSL-TV, says that it is mourning the tragic incident.
Ragan was interviewed 11 years ago by the Deseret News about his time in the Navy and as a former B-17 crewmember.
He flew in a specially-modified B-17. He told the paper at the time that it was his dream to fly the same plane as his older brother.
While he didn't know Ragan personally, O'Brien says he knows firsthand how air shows serve as a way to give back to veterans like Ragan.
"For folks that truly have a passion for this, such as the ones that were tragically lost over the weekend at that air show incident, it's something they truly enjoy because they were doing their part to help preserve and share history," he said.
O'Brien said it's a chance for them to open up and share stories of their service, passing them on to younger generations.
"Once they get around that aircraft, the stories start coming out, the history starts coming alive," he said.
