Apollo 8 Astronaut Bill Anders killed in plane crash

[boeingboy]

Bill Anders...retired Major General in the US Air force and Apollo 8 astronaut - who took the famous earth rise photo during their orbit of the moon - was killed today in the crash of his T34 in the San Juan islands today just feet from shore. A beautiful sunny day here. He apparently was doing a loop or split S and skipped off the water.

The video is as spectacular as it is sad. He was 90 years old.

God speed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evr4WGe9ngM&t=0s

[BTD]

That’s too bad.

The original first 5 groups of astronauts won’t be around forever, and this is another reminder.

[digits_]

What a way to go though... Owning and flying airplanes aerobatically when you're 90

Very impressive!

[boeingboy]

New video link above.

[TG]

True definition of “Old & Bold”

[karmutzen]

Doubt any pilot wants to check out by screwing up a kindergarten maneuver. Happens to all ages, though he was exceptionally experienced and current.

By the witness accounts and ADSB track it looked to me he had been practising aerobatic maneuvers (of the limited military style the T-34 is capable of) at 2-3000 feet near Skagit, then went a few minutes away to the west side of Orcas Island, positioned himself with an alignment, speed, and from about 1000' attempted a barrel roll. Should have been a walk in the park.

As opposed to what you RV guys call a barrel roll, in the military it is a tactical manoeuvre with precise targets, at the loop apex the aircraft should be 90 degrees and inverted from the initial direction. Looked to me at this point he stopped rolling and pulled through like a split S. Not gonna work in a T34 from that altitude. Also thought I noticed some hesitation in the pull early on as if he didn't think things were quite right. Even pull downward, no secondary stall, he almost made it...

[Inverted2]

Reminds me of the Scott Crossfield crash about 20 years ago. He flew several X-planes in the 50s and 60s. When he was in his 80s he flew his Cessna 210 into a thunderstorm and it broke up mid air. The lawyers determined he wasn’t briefed on the latest ATIS/Weather.

Next time you’re in the US when they ask you to verify that you have ATIS whatever that’s the reason. Lawyers.

[‘Bob’]

Or Daryll Snodgrass buying it in a single engine Cessna because he didn’t take the control lock out.

Just goes to show that basic flying can still get you if you’re complacent.

And everyone who is taught how to do a real barrel roll is taught the same as the military. You pick two landmarks, one off the nose, one off the wing. A lazy 8 is actually a good primer for it because it requires the same coordination of turn and bank angle as well as airspeed and altitude management.

[Red_Comet]

Also blancolirio's friend, a Blue Angels pilot who lost his life practicing the "impossible turn" in a Decathlon. That was the most humbling incident to hear about, as it goes to show you no matter how skilled you are, the aircraft and physics don't care. Soon as you push beyond the limits, it's over.

Aviation is about constantly staying humble to stay alive.

https://youtu.be/PaM5xiTCMlc?si=zgapzTZeKpfrbIxM
https://www.theunion.com/news/local-new ... s-he-lived

[Bede]

Doubt any pilot wants to check out by screwing up a kindergarten maneuver. Happens to all ages, though he was exceptionally experienced and current.

Maybe he lost consciousness and didn't pull hard enough? He was 90 after all...

[TG]

Or Daryll Snodgrass buying it in a single engine Cessna because he didn’t take the control lock out.

That one was a SIAI-Marchetti something.

Also blancolirio's friend, a Blue Angels pilot who lost his life practicing the "impossible turn" in a Decathlon.

I think you are referring to Richard McSpadden. Ex Thunderbird Leader and...AOPA vice president, he was basically advocating safety in GA!
He was more ridding as an unfortunate passenger on this crash with his friend doing the "flying"
Not a Decathlon but a Cessna Cardinal.


Bonus point to Inverted2 who got it right with Scott Crossfield and his C-210

[Red_Comet]

I think you are referring to Richard McSpadden. Ex Thunderbird Leader and...AOPA vice president, he was basically advocating safety in GA!
He was more ridding as an unfortunate passenger on this crash with his friend doing the "flying"
Not a Decathlon but a Cessna Cardinal.


Bonus point to Inverted2 who got it right with Scott Crossfield and his C-210

Nope, that was a different incident. I linked the article for Gary Smith's incident in my post...