WWII B-17 Pilot Just Died When P-51 Joyride Went Horribly Wrong

(Erika Vela/Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post)

Pecos Bill.

Recently, a priceless P-51 Mustang crashed into a parking lot in Texas. Investigators have confirmed that two people were killed in the crash. However, to make matters worse one of the people who lost their lives was a WWII-era B-17 pilot named Vincent Losada.

The P-51D Mustang “Pecos Bill” was no stranger to performing air shows for the joy of aviation fanatics. Pecos Bill took part in the Living History WWII reenactment in Fredricksburg, Texas. Pilot Cowden Ward traveled the country giving flights to WWII vets, but sadly this one would be his last.

“Pecos Bill provides complimentary Freedom Flights to WWII Veterans and Purple Heart Recipients to thank them for their service to our country, along with fly-over tributes at WWII Veterans’ funerals & events.”

– www.p51pecosbill.org

During the WWII reenactment, Cowden Ward brought a WWII B-17 pilot along for a joyride but then things went wrong. At 3:15 PM, the P-51 malfunctioned and crashed into the parking lot of an apartment complex.

Both men were killed in the crash as the Federal Aviation Administration begins an investigation into the cause. Cowden Ward brought joy into the lives of countless veterans, the community thanks him for his generosity and mourns his loss.