Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders was tragically killed in a plane crash near the San Juan Islands in Washington on Friday afternoon.
Social media users caught footage of Anders attempting to make a loop in his vintage T-34 Mentor, before crashing straight into the water. FAA records and family members confirmed Anders was piloting the plane when it crashed, according to FOX 13 Seattle.
The 90-year-old was famous for being one of the men who flew to the moon in the 1968 Apollo 8 mission and photographing the Earth, capturing the iconic 1968 “Earthrise” photo.
Anders, who was born in Hong Kong but then moved to San Diego, California, where he grew up, was selected by NASA in 1964 to be an astronaut. Anders piloted the Apollo 8 module and was a backup pilot for the Apollo 11 and Gemini XI missions. He leaves behind his wife, Valerie, and six children and 13 grandchildren.
