Man Who Flew Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Rocket To Space Dies In Plane Crash
One of Blue Origin rocket passengers who accompanied “Star Trek” legend William Shatner to space last month, has been reportedly killed in a plane crash in New Jersey.
Glen De Vries was killed on Thursday afternoon when a small plane crashed in Sussex County, New Jersey, according to the New Jersey State Police. Another passenger, 54-year-old Thomas Fischer, was also killed.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first reported the plane missing at approximately 3 p.m. local time, shortly after it took off from Essex County Airport in Caldwell; the plane was headed toward Sussex Airport, Patch reported. About one hour later, state police had located the downed plane “in a heavily wooded area” in Hampton Township.
According to the FAA, the plane – a small, four-seat aircraft called a Cessna C172 – went down in a “wild area”.
“Local law enforcement notified the FAA that they located a single-engine Cessna 172 that crashed at approximately 4 p.m. in a wooded area of a state park near Kemah, NJ,” an FAA spokesman said. “The flight took off from Essex County Airport in Caldwell, NJ for Sussex Airport. There were two people on board.”
In a statement, the blue original mourned one of his first astronauts.
“We are devastated to hear of the sudden passing of Glenn De Vries,” the company said. tweeted, “He brought so much life and energy to the entire Blue Origin team and his fellow teammates. His passion for aviation, his charitable work, and his dedication to his craft will long be respected and admired.”
On 13 October, Mr. De Vries flew to space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-18 rocket star trek actor William Shatner and two other passengers. This was only the company’s second space flight.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing Earth from a different perspective than before,” Mr. de Vries CBS. told before the trip. “I just can’t wait to look out that window and feel differently about humanity and our planet than I’ve ever had the opportunity to do before.”
Mr. de Vries, a molecular biologist by training, was the co-founder of Medidata Solutions, a highly successful technology company that produces software for clinical research. In 2019, French company Dassault Systems bought Medidata for $5.8 billion.
On Friday, Dassault expressed condolences.
“Our thoughts and support are with Glenn’s family,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “Our deepest sympathies also go out to our Medidata team, which Glenn co-founded. His tireless energy, empathy, and pioneering spirit made an impression on everyone who knew him. We will truly miss Glenn, But his dreams – which we share – are lived: We will pursue progress in life sciences and healthcare as he did.”
The entrepreneur also flew planes in his spare time and was a certified private pilot. It is not yet clear whether he was driving the plane that crashed on Thursday.
The circumstances that led to the crash are unknown. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident.
What a loss! May his soul rest in peace, Amen.
