Bill died October 2, 1993, in a crash of a plane he was piloting from Anchorage, Alaska, to Bethel, Alaska.

From the FAA report: On October 2, 1993, at 1430 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Maule M-6-235 airplane, registered to the Pilot- in-Command, collided with glacier/terrain while maneuvering to reverse direction in a large box canyon located immediately southeast of Merrill Pass. The business flight, last departed Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska, and the destination was Bethel, Alaska. The Private Certificated Pilot-in Command, the sole occupant, was fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged.
Bill jumped at Missoula during the 1993 season.