BREAKING: Apollo 8 Astronaut William Anders Who Took Iconic Earthrise Photo Is Dead—Retired American astronaut William Anders, 90, who was part of the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, has died after his small plane crashed into Puget Sound in Washington State.
Anders was killed after the small aircraft he was piloting smashed into Puget Sound near Orcas Island in Washington State on Friday, resulting in a fireball as the plane hit the water.
Officials with the United States Coast Guard Pacific Northwest said the crash happened near Orcas Island before 11:45am.
Video footage shot on the Sound shows the plane flying high in the sky before it plummets as it begins a dive.
Just before the plane began to level off, the aircraft hit the water at speed with not enough altitude for Anders to pull up safely.
