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Yak Pilot Killed at Wisconsin Airshow

Bill Cowden and his Yak-55M in 2013.
(Stevens Point Air Show)
Geoff Sobering
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Former F-16 pilot Bill Cowden, 47, died when his 1993 Yak-55M crashed during an aerobatic performance.
  • The accident occurred on Sunday at the Stevens Point Air Show in Wisconsin, with video showing the airplane in a downward spiral before impacting a wooded area.
  • Cowden, who had approximately 7,000 hours of flight time, became interested in aerobatics to experience a thrill similar to flying F-16s.
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A former F-16 pilot died on Sunday when his 1993 Yak-55M crashed during an aerobatic performance at Stevens Point Air Show in Wisconsin.

Video of the accident shows the airplane in a downward spiral before it crashed into a wooded area approximately 1,000 feet from the runway. Pilot Bill Cowden, 47, was pronounced dead at the scene.

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