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Glen de Vries, a Blue Origin astronaut who went to space with Star Trek actor William Shatner in October, died in a plane crash on Thursday (November 11) in New Jersey. He was 49.
Authorities said that de Vries was on a Cessna 172 with New Jersey aviation company owner Thomas Fischer, 54, when the single-engine plane crashed into a heavily wooded area in Hampton Township. The two men took off from Essex County Airport in Caldwell and were heading to Sussex County Airport.
Fischer was also killed in the crash.
De Vries was certified as a private pilot and instrument-rated, allowing him to fly in the clouds and operate the plane solely using the instruments. It is unclear which of the two men was piloting the plane.
The cause of the crash has not been determined. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. A preliminary report is expected to be released within a week.
"We are devastated to hear of the sudden passing of Glen de Vries," Blue Origin wrote on Twitter. "He brought so much life and energy to the entire Blue Origin team and to his fellow crewmates. His passion for aviation, his charitable work, and his dedication to his craft will long be revered and admired."