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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 Yak-55M crashed during an aerobatic performance at the Stevens Point Air Show in Wisconsin.
  • Video of the accident showed the airplane in a downward spiral before it crashed into a wooded area near the runway.
  • Cowden had previously flown F-16s in the North Dakota Air National Guard and worked for Delta Air Lines, pursuing aerobatics for the thrill it provided.
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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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