Horrific news out of the Pacific Northwest:

American astronaut William Anders — who was a member of the Apollo 8 crew — was killed while piloting a plane that crashed off the Washington coast Friday, according to a report.

The plane, a vintage Air Force T-34 Mentor owned by Anders, went down into the waters off the San Juan Islands, according to flight data and FAA records obtained by FOX 13 Seattle.

According to the FAA, Anders was the only one on board.

Here is what appears to be footage of the awful incident:

[Warning: Graphic]

Anders was 90 years old. Throughout his life he retained an incredibly unique historical distinction: In December 1968 he was among the first three humans to leave low-Earth orbit and depart our planet's gravitational influence.

The Apollo 8 mission was also the first crewed flight to reach the Moon and orbit it (humans would not land on the lunar surface until Apollo 11 in 1969).

Here's Anders's official NASA portrait taken when the astronaut was just 31 years old:

Anders also made history by taking one of the most iconic photographs in human history, that of the "Earthrise" as seen from above the surface of the moon.

The hauntingly beautiful photograph has been described as "the most influential environmental photograph ever taken," showing as it does God's precious majesty of our planet set against the infinity of space:

Later in his career Anders served as the CEO of the aerospace General Dynamics Corporation.

The astronaut and his wife Valerie raised six children together. He was the recipient of numerous awards over his lifetime, including inductions into the International Space Hall of Fame, the International Air & Space Hall of Fame, and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

RIP.

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