Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders, who took famous 'Earthrise' photo, dies in plane crash

William Anders, the former Apollo 8 astronaut who captured a famous photo of Earth looking like a blue marble from space, was reportedly killed in an airplane crash in Washington on Friday. He was 90.

Anders' son, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Greg Anders, confirmed to King5 and the Associated Press that his father was killed in the crash and that his body has been recovered.

Officials received reports around 11:40 a.m. that an older model plane went into the water and sunk in the San Juan Channel near Orcas Island, according to a San Juan County Sheriff’s Office news release. The Federal Aviation Administration said only the pilot was on the aircraft.

The aircraft crashed in the water about 80 feet offshore from Jones Island, Washington, under unknown circumstances, the National Transportation Safety Board said.

William Anders took pivotal 'earthrise' photo

Anders is best known as the Apollo 8 lunar module pilot who captured the iconic photo of Earth looking like a blue marble from space. He called the photo, named "Earthrise," the most significant contribution he made throughout his astronomical career.

The Apollo 8 mission, which paved the way for Apollo 11's historic lunar landing seven months later, was fraught with risk. The mission took 16 weeks from conception to launch, compared to similar ones that took at least a year to execute. Flight simulators couldn't be used because they weren't finished. 

Anders was born in Hong Kong on Oct. 17, 1933 but grew up in San Diego. In 1964, Anders became a NASA astronaut working in fields including dosimetry, radiation effects and environmental control. He retired from the Air Force Reserves in 1988. By 1991, he served as chairman of General Dynamics Corporation from 1991 to 1994.

Anders moved to Orcas Island in 1993 with his his wife Valerie, with whom he shares six children and 13 grandchildren.

Aircraft was a T-34 plane he reportedly owned

The plane was a Beechcraft A-45, also known as a T-34 airplane, the safety board confirmed.

Flight data and FAA records show that Anders, a San Juan County resident, owned the vintage plane that crashed, FOX13 reported.

Once it is recovered from the water, the aircraft will be examined at an offsite facility by the NTSB. Investigators will gather tracking data, air traffic control communications recordings and the pilot's flight experience.

A preliminary report will be available within 30 days while a final report containing the probable cause of the crash could take one to two years.

Contributing: Ledyard King