A fiery plane crash that was caught on camera and
the San Juan Islands prompted a search in the waters
around Orcas Island for the pilot.
Former Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders was flying when the
plane went down.
Thank you for joining us for the news at 10.
I'm Neil Wong and I'm Frankie Thompson.
Using flight data and FAA records,
FOX 13 has confirmed the plane that crashed was a
vintage Air Force
T34 mentor. That plane registered to the 90 year old
pilot.
FOX 13's Jennifer Dowling talked to members of the San
Juan Island community and joins us live from Burlington with
more details on the search and enters his life.
Good evening. Anders was one of the founders of the
Heritage Flight Museum,
which sits right behind me in Burlington.
He loved to fly, but those we talked to say
he'll most likely be remembered for the images that he
captured during his time and space.
This was the video captured a former astronaut William Bill
Anders plane going down in the waters near Jones and
Orcas Island at around
11:40 Friday morning.
Ken Speck, who lives on Orcas Island,
talked to Fox 13 by phone and said he was
a friend of Anders and he believes he may have
been doing touch and goes when the plane went down.
Anders is perhaps best remembered for taking this stunning photo
of the Earth that some like this Guaymas Island resident
referred to as the blue marble.
I remember that photo and it,
it, it is. And I,
you know, I recognize it as,
you know, iconic. Anders captured the image while on Apollo
8 on the 1st flight to orbit the moon on
Christmas of
1968. We're just a dot in space and
pretty blue one. Bob Rowitz remembers that it changed people's
perspective on the planet.
It's amazing, you know, to see that scope of,
you know, and knowing that's where all
your family is, you know,
that's where everybody lives, you know,
and it from a distance,
it makes you understand that it's not,
you know, just the flat ground you live on.
The Coast Guard says the pilot S body was recovered
by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife dive team
and her son,
retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Greg Anders,
issued a statement saying the family is devastated.
He was a great pilot and we will miss him
terribly.
Barbara Witt says he understands why Anders would enjoy flying
high above the islands.
It is fun and it's beautiful.
You get up on top,
the view from, you know,
above, you know, it, it,
it's spectacular. Sounds like he lived a pretty full life.
As for the photo, Avery Doll,
a former Lopez Island resident,
says it spans generations. It's a touching photo.
I mean, it, it's, it's interesting as we're kind of
re entering a, a time of space travel here.
We're trying to put people back on the moon.
So it's an interesting time to lose
an astronaut like that.
And the Heritage Flight Museum also issued a statement saying
the museum is deeply saddened to confirm that one of
our founders,
Bill Anders, was killed in an aircraft accident.
The museum will be closed until further notice.
Please respect our need to grieve the passing of a
great father and a great pilot.
We also reached out to the museum,
perhaps for a later interview and are waiting to hear
back.
Reporting live in Burlington. Jennifer Dowling,
FOX 13 News.