# Mid-air collision ID

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-air-collision-id/652961>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 15, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-air-collision-id/652961 "2013-03-15T00:22:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-air-collision-id/652961/1 "2013-03-15T00:22:28Z")

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There’s a clip that I’ve seen several times, the most recently 15 minutes into _13 Rue Madeleine_, of three propeller-driven, single-engine, low-wing, retractable-gear aircraft flying over (I believe) the U.S. The footage is shot from ground level. As the aircraft bank over some wooded hills, to of them collide. There is a crash and a ball of fire. The footage is black-and-white, and appears to be from WWII or not long after. I know I’ve read about this crash before, but can’t remember the details.

Any idea when and where this happened?

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**Author:** ![Zweedo\_Rodriguez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b487fb/32.png) [@Zweedo\_Rodriguez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zweedo_Rodriguez)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-air-collision-id/652961/2 "2013-03-15T00:30:07Z")

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This it?

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/W0_SHVqgRxs/hqdefault.jpg "MUSTANG MIDAIR COLLISION - WW2 FOOTAGE") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0_SHVqgRxs)

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**Author:** ![sco3tt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@sco3tt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sco3tt)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-air-collision-id/652961/3 "2013-03-15T00:43:19Z")

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[quote=“Zweedo\_Rodriguez, post:2, topic:652961”]

This it?

[/QUOTE]

Yes, that would appear to be the same clip featured in [13 Rue Madeleine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJBge6syFco#t=155s).

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-air-collision-id/652961/4 "2013-03-15T00:48:44Z")

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[quote=“Zweedo\_Rodriguez, post:2, topic:652961”]

This it?

[/QUOTE]

Yes, that’s it. I agree with the person who commented the planes look like P-40s.

Trying to find more information… (EDIT: Looks like it happened in Australia.)

.

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**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-air-collision-id/652961/5 "2013-03-15T13:52:25Z")

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[quote=“Zweedo\_Rodriguez, post:2, topic:652961”]

This it?

[/QUOTE]

Aside, since I don’t have the answer: why do posters of these kinds of clips (not meaning you, **Zweedo** ; the YouTube posters) always seem to call them “rare footage”? It almost never is, as there are usually a dozen other copies of the same clip in the related videos tab. And in this case specifically, it’s famous and has been used in movies, it’s most certainly not “rare”. Plus, even if it **was** , hey, you’ve put it up on YouTube, which instantly makes it no longer “rare” since everyone in the world can now see it.

(I know; forget it Jake, it’s YouTube.)