B.C. Kowalski

Stevens Point (Wis.) Journal

STEVENS POINT, Wis. — A plane spiraled to the ground during the Stevens Point Air Show, killing its pilot, police said.

Bill Cowden, 47, of Menomonie, Wis., died shortly before 12:30 p.m. CT Sunday at the scene when his plane crashed in the trees during an aerobatic performance, said Sgt. Tony Babl of Stevens Point Police.

Cowden had been flying a 1993 YAK-55M Russian-made aerobatics plane. Officials said they don't yet know what caused the crash.

Cowden flew F-16s in the the U.S. Air Force and later became a commercial pilot for Delta Air Lines. Cowden, who had been a pilot for 25 years, flew aerobatic planes because it rekindled the thrill he got from flying F-16s — one of the world's fastest jets — he said at Sunday's air show.

The crash happened about 1,000 feet east of the runway at the Stevens Point Municipal Airport, about 75 miles west of Green Bay and 130 miles northwest of Milwaukee. Airport officials shut down the air show immediately after the crash, Babl said.



About two hours before the crash, Cowden acknowledged that aerobatics are risky and that a pilot needs to have good control over his airplane to perform the maneuvers.

"But once you get into this, you've usually got (a passion for aerobatics) pretty bad," Cowden said. "It's like an addiction."

Cowden practiced aerobatics at the Menomonie Municipal Airport-Score Field in a dedicated air box, or air space dedicated to aerobatics practice. He was a key member of the airport and was the life of the party, Airport Manager Darrel Gibson said Monday.



Cowden had full certification in aerobatics, which allowed him to fly as close to the ground as possible, Gibson said.



"Bill was a big part of this aviation group," Gibson said. "He was always willing to help someone out. He's going to be missed by everyone." Survivors include his wife, Heather, and his son, Gunnar.

Cowden logged more than 7,000 hours of flight time, including 1,500 hours in an F-16, according to information he provided as a biography for an air show in Menomonie. Cowden also trained as an airplane mechanic before training to fly F-16s.



Cowden also was building a project airplane that he had nearly finished, Gibson said.



"He was a genuine guy, a really nice guy who loved flying," said Scott Rifleman, president of the Stevens Point Pilots Association. "He loved aerobatics and entertaining."



Witnesses to the crash said Cowden's plane spiraled toward the ground, looped up, then crashed into the trees next to the airport's airfield.

"I couldn't believe what I saw," said Melvin Burskey, 72, of Neenah, Wis., who was attending the event. "There was a puff of smoke. Then it went down."

The Stevens Point Air Show, which happens every two years, had expected a crowd estimated at 7,000 Sunday. It's unknown how many were present during the crash.

Chris Walker, 53, of Stevens Point was taking video of the air show right before the crash. Walker said the plane would dip below the tree line as it performed stunts and it wasn't immediately apparent that something was wrong until it didn't re-emerge from the treeline and emergency vehicles rushed onto the airfield.

"I was in shock," Walker said.

Federal Aviation Administration officials are on the scene investigating the crash.

Videos and photos of the crash should play a key role in this case, said Eric Weiss, spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board. The investigation is expected to take 12 to 18 months to complete although a preliminary report will be available in seven to 10 days.