Glen De Vries, Who Flew To Space With William Shatner, Dies In Small Plane Crash In New Jersey
HAMPTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A small plane bound for Sussex Airport in New Jersey crashed Thursday, killing two people, including a man who flew to space with William Shatner.
State police identified the victims as Glen M. de Vries, 49, of New York City and Thomas P. Fischer, 54, of Hopatcong, New Jersey.
De Vries was a member of the crew that made headlines last month when they flew to space with Jeff Bezos' company Blue Origin.
We are devastated to hear of the sudden passing of Glen de Vries. 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. pic.twitter.com/1hwnjntTVs
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) November 12, 2021
"Our thoughts and support go out to Glen's family. Our deepest sympathy also goes out to our MEDIDATA team, which Glen co-founded. His tireless energy, empathy and pioneering spirit left their mark on everyone who knew him. We will truly miss Glen, but his dreams - which we share - live on: we will pursue progress in life sciences & healthcare as passionately as he did," said a spokesperson from Dassault Systemes.
The plane took off from Essex County Airport. Federal officials said they alerted public agencies about the missing aircraft shortly before 3 p.m.
According to the FAA, the single-engine Cessna 172 crashed in a wooded area of a state park near Lake Kemah around 4 p.m.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating.
Editor's note: This story was first published Nov. 12.