Blue Origin Rider, Shatner Co-Astronaut, Fatality in NJ Cessna Crash

Glen de Vries, a passenger on the same Blue Origin flight that took screen legend William Shatner into low orbit, has tragically passed in an apparent accident that took place in a possible training flight Hampton New Jersey.

De Vries was accompanied by Tom Fischer, a certified flight instructor and owner of Fischer Aviation, a flight school in Essex County in a Cessna 172 that was declared missing around 15:00 on November 11. The aircraft was found about an hour later in a densely-wooded area in Bear Swamp Wildlife Management Area. Current cause is unknown. 

De Vries was a passionate aviator, one who obtained his private pilot license in 2016 with Fischer before purchasing a Diamond single in 2020. He was the president and co-founder of Medidata Solutions, which won him a Carnegie Mellon Alumni Achievement Award for his work building cloud platforms for life sciences research. His work enabled easier collaboration between researchers and physicians working on complex, multi-site studies in an effort to streamline the development of medical research. De Vries was a participant in the WINGS program, reportedly demonstrating his successful completion on his social media account. 

Tom Fischer was a fixture of the local aviation scene, making headlines when he landed an engine-out Cessna in a parking lot at Rockaway Townsquare Mall with a student aboard. That accident was the result of a seized engine and oil leak, and contrary to some reports, was not the same aircraft involved in the incident. Fischer was the instructor in a series of articles for Popular Mechanics documenting the work involved in learning to fly, gaining him a small measure of notoriety in the region. 

Blue Origin responded to the loss of their comrade, saying "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."

FMI: www.fischeraviation.com, www.blueorigin.com