Date: Friday 7 June 2024
Time: c. 11:40 LT
Type: Silhouette image of generic T34P model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Beechcraft T-34A (A45) Mentor
Owner/operator: Apogee Flight Inc, opb Heritage Flight Museum
Registration: N268AF
MSN: G-828
Year of manufacture: 1961
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category: Accident
Location: near Jones Island, WA - United States of America
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature: Private
Departure airport: Mount Vernon-Skagit Regional Airport, WA (MVW/KBVS)
Destination airport: Mount Vernon-Skagit Regional Airport, WA (MVW/KBVS)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
Narrative:
A Beechcraft T-34A (A45) Mentor impacted the waters 80 feet offshore of Jones Island, Washington.
The pilot, former Apollo 8 astronaut William “Bill” Anders (90), perished and the aircraft was destroyed.
An online video shows the aircraft in an inverted dive/loop before it impacted the water at high speed. It appears that the maneuver is consistent with a Split S, in which the pilot half-rolls their aircraft inverted and executes a descending half-loop, resulting in level flight in the opposite direction at a lower altitude.
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/389197
All things considered he had a great run and went out doing something he loved. Attempting an inside loop at 90 years old, brave man. You know what they say, “there’s old pilots and bold pilots, but there’s no old bold pilots”. He beat the odds. He died an old bold pilot. RIP.
Rest In Peace, Bill.
Yeah, the photo he took is one for the ages.
Likely never to be surpassed.
RIP
Good interview with Bill here....from 6 years ago, he was in great shape then:
https://youtu.be/YJ0xo1NcHK0?si=owFbWbdbykdegoAh
RIP “Earthrise Photographer”.
Other FR threads on the subject:
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4242946/posts
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4242983/posts
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4243027/posts