Former astronaut William Anders dies in plane crash near San Juan Islands

Retired Maj. Gen. William Anders, the former Apollo 8 astronaut who took the iconic “Earthrise” photo showing the planet as a shaded blue marble from space in 1968, has been killed Friday when the plane he was piloting alone plunged into the waters off the coast of the San Juan Islands in Washington state. He was 90 years old. His son, Greg Anders, confirmed the death to The Associated Press.

“The family is devastated,” Greg Anders said. “He was a great pilot and will be missed terribly.”

Anders said the photo was his most significant contribution to the space program, given its ecological philosophical impact, while ensuring the operation of the Apollo 8 command module and service module.

A report came in around 11:40 a.m. that an older model plane crashed into the water and sank near the north end of Jones Island, said San Juan County Sheriff Eric To fart.

Only the pilot was aboard the Beech A45 plane at the time, according to the Federal Aviation Association.

William Anders said in a 1997 NASA oral history interview that he did not believe the Apollo 8 mission was without risk, but that there were important national, patriotic, and exploratory reasons for the pursue. He estimated that there was about a one in three chance that the crew would not return and that there was an equal chance that the mission would be a success and that it would not start. He said he suspected that Columbus had sailed with worse odds.

He talked about how Earth seemed fragile and physically insignificant, yet it was his home.

“We had gone backwards and upside down, we hadn't really seen the Earth or the Sun, and when we turned around and came back and saw the first Earthrise,” he said . “That was definitely the most impressive thing by far. Seeing this very delicate and colorful orb that to me looked like a Christmas tree decoration popping up against this very stark and ugly moonscape was really contrasting.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the accident.

By GENE JOHNSON and AUDREY McAVOY Associated Press