Yak Pilot Killed at Wisconsin Airshow

Bethany Whitfield

Tuesday, June 03, 2014 at 08:37 PM ET

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

Key Takeaways:

Former F-16 pilot Bill Cowden died on Sunday when his Yak-55M crashed during an aerobatic performance at the Stevens Point Air Show in Wisconsin.
Video shows the airplane in a downward spiral before it crashed into a wooded area, and Cowden was pronounced dead at the scene.
Cowden, who also flew for Delta Air Lines, pursued aerobatics for 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.