Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders, who took the famous “Earthrise” photo, dies in plane crash

William Anders, the former Apollo 8 astronaut who took a famous photograph of the Earth looking like a blue marble from space, was reportedly killed in a plane crash in Washington on Friday. He was 90 years old.

Anders’ son, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Greg Anders, confirmed to King5 and the Associated Press that his father was killed in the crash and his body had been recovered.

At around 11:40 a.m., authorities received reports that an older model airplane had crashed into the water and sunk in the San Juan Channel near Orcas Island, according to a news release from the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. The Federal Aviation Administration said only the pilot was on board the plane.

The plane crashed into the water under unclear circumstances about 24 meters off the coast of Jones Island in the US state of Washington, the National Transportation Safety Board said.

William Anders took the decisive “Earthrise” photo

Anders is best known as the Apollo 8 lunar module pilot who took the iconic photograph of the Earth looking like a blue marble from space. He called the photo, titled “Earthrise,” his most significant contribution during his astronomy career.

The Apollo 8 mission, which paved the way for the historic Apollo 11 moon landing seven months later, was fraught with risks. From planning to launch, the mission took 16 weeks, while similar missions took at least a year. Flight simulators could not be used because they were not yet ready.

Anders was born in Hong Kong on October 17, 1933, but grew up in San Diego. In 1964, Anders became a NASA astronaut and worked in areas such as dosimetry, radiation effects, and environmental control. He retired from the Air Force Reserve in 1988. From 1991 to 1994, he served as chairman of General Dynamics Corporation.

Anders moved to Orcas Island in 1993 with his wife Valerie, with whom he has six children and 13 grandchildren.

The aircraft was a T-34 that allegedly belonged to him

The aircraft was a Beechcraft A-45, also known as a T-34 aircraft, the safety agency confirmed.

Flight data and FAA records show that Anders, a San Juan County resident, was the owner of the crashed vintage plane, FOX13 reported.

Once the plane is recovered from the water, it will be examined at an off-site facility by the NTSB. Investigators will collect tracking data, air traffic control communications recordings and the pilot’s flight experience.

A preliminary report will be available within 30 days, while a final report with the probable cause of the crash could take one to two years.

Contributors: Ledyard King

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Plane crash kills Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders: reports