Cowden Ward Jr. ID’d as Pilot Killed in Fredericksburg Plane Crash near Texas Apartment Complex
Fredericksburg, Texas (November 19, 2018) – The pilot who was killed Saturday afternoon when his vintage World War II Mustang fighter airplane crashed in Fredericksburg has been identified as Cowden Ward Jr. of Burnet, according to a local news source.
The fatal crash took place at around 3:15 p.m. Saturday, November 17 in the parking lot of a Texas apartment complex, approximately 70 miles north of San Antonio.
Authorities said the P-51D Mustang fighter was returning after performing a flyover during a living history show at the National Museum of the Pacific War when the crash occurred.
It’s unknown what caused the crash, but Ward and his unidentified passenger were killed in the accident.
Several vehicles in the parking lot were damaged and the aircraft was destroyed. No information was provided regarding injuries or deaths on the ground.
According to the report,  the Mustang was first built by North American Aviation in 1940 and was used by the U.S. military in World War II and the Korean War.
The crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA.