Wife of Len Root, pilot who died in Texas airshow crash, sues organizers for negligence in horrific accident that killed six experienced airmen when two WWII-era planes collided midair at Wings Over Dallas
The wife and daughters of one of the six men killed at an air show last year when two World War II planes crashed in mid-air in front of a large crowd in Texas are suing the event’s organizers.
Len Root’s family, including his wife Angela Norris Root, has filed suit against the Commemorative Air Force, the group that organized the Wings Over Dallas Air Show.
Kevin Kodelka, the family’s attorney, said, “Mrs. Root saw it happen and she’s not doing very well,” referring to the fatal crash.
“We need the lawsuit to find out what happened and who is responsible. The second part of that is: who is responsible? What happened? Who’s wrong? And why did this happen? And hold them accountable.”
Root, 66, was a retired American Airlines pilot who earned his pilot’s license when he was 16.
Len Root (left) and his wife, Angela Norris Root, are suing the organizers of the air show where her husband died last November
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra collided in mid-air during an air show in Dallas
Last November, he was with four other crew members in a B-17 bomber when it collided with a P-63 fighter last November, killing everyone on both planes.
The lawsuit alleges negligence, particularly on the part of the air boss – hired by CAF – who called Kodelka the “quarterback who arranged the games for the event.”
According to audio recordings released by the FAA several months ago, the air boss cleared the pilots just seconds before the crash.
In a statement obtained by FoxCAF said, “We are aware of the lawsuit filed on August 31 against the Commemorative Air Force by the family of one of our members who was tragically killed in the accident at the Wings Over Dallas Airshow in November 2022.’
“Our attorneys are investigating the petition and will respond through appropriate channels.”
The entity added that it will wait to respond formally until the National Transportation Safety Board arrives.
Root was one of five other men killed in the crash. Also killed were Terry Baker, Curt Rowe, Kevin Michels, Dan Ragan and Craig Hutain.
Horrifying video of the fatal crash showed the fighter jet appearing to collide directly into the bomber, creating a huge ball of fire and smoke that sent parts of both planes crashing to the ground.
The incident is under investigation by both the Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB. Although a final crash report could take months.
The preliminary report did not list a cause of the crash, but did note that there had been no altitude advisory plan for the pilots prior to the show.
Kodelka said he believes more lawsuits will be filed soon, though his company was the first to file a lawsuit.
Len Root was 66 when he died in the crash involving two planes and a retired American Airlines pilot who had held his driver’s license for 50 years
Terry Barker was the other pilot aboard the B-17 plane when it crashed into a P-63 fighter
Horrifying video of the fatal crash showed the fighter jet appearing to collide directly into the bomber, creating a huge ball of fire and smoke that sent parts of both planes crashing to the ground
Dan Ragan was one of the pilots killed in the dramatic and horrific crash
Shot from a B-17 fighter; the aircraft involved in the crash was a Boeing model
Hundreds of people on the ground witnessed last year’s shocking accident and were captured in sickening detail as spectators and air show photographers captured the event with their mobile phones and professional cameras.
Both men – Root and Terry Baker – were members of the B-17 crew, which operated and maintained the historic Texas Raiders aircraft, one of only five B-17s allowed to fly.
Witnesses said debris was scattered on Highway 67 in Texas, where the fire department said an active fire had broken out. The highway was closed and traffic was diverted.
Footage from the aftermath of the tragedy showed smoke billowing over tents at the festival in Dallas. The event was part of the Commemorative Air Force’s Veterans Day weekend show.
Wings Over Dallas is an annual air show hosted by Commemorative Air Force, an organization dedicated to the preservation of World War II aircraft.
The CAF was founded in 1961 as a non-profit organization and the weekend show was part of the Air Power History Tour, advertised as a national tour of World War II aircraft.
The group advertises that all of its shows feature at least one extremely rare aircraft, such as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress or a B-24 Liberator.
Angela Root’s attorney, Kevin Koudellka, says he expects more lawsuits to be filed soon
Craig Hutan is one of the pilots who died in the November 12, 2022 crash
Major Curt Rowe, a more than 30-year veteran of the Ohio Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, was also killed in the crash
Kevin Michels is another of the men killed in Dallas last year
The safety of air shows, especially older military aircraft, has been a concern for many years.
In 2011, eleven people were killed in Reno, Nevada, when a P-51 Mustang crashed into onlookers. In 2019, a bomber crashed in Hartford, Connecticut, killing seven people.
The NTSB then said it had investigated 21 accidents involving World War II bombers since 1982 that resulted in 23 deaths.