William C. McCool
| William C. McCool | |
|---|---|
William McCool in August 2001
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| NASA Astronaut | |
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
September 23, 1961 San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Died | February 1, 2003 (aged 41) Over Texas |
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Other names
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William Cameron McCool |
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Previous occupation
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Naval aviator, test pilot |
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USNA, B.S. 1983 UMCP, M.S. 1985 NPS, M.S. 1992 |
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| Rank | Commander, USN |
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Time in space
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15d 22h 20m |
| Selection | 1996 NASA Group 16 |
| Missions | STS-107 |
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Mission insignia
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 |
| Awards |  |
William Cameron "Willie" McCool (September 23, 1961 – February 1, 2003), (Cmdr, USN), was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut, who was the pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-107. He and the rest of the crew of STS-107 were killed when Columbia disintegrated during re-entry into the atmosphere. He was the youngest male member of the crew.
William McCool was born September 23, 1961, in San Diego, California. McCool was active in the Boy Scouts of America where he became an Eagle Scout. His favorite song was "Imagine" by John Lennon, which was played during the space mission. His favorite band was Radiohead, and the song "Fake Plastic Trees" was played by Mission Control as a wake-up call.
McCool died on February 1, 2003, when Space Shuttle Columbia broke up over the southern United States during re-entry. He was survived by his wife, Lani, and their three sons. He had a home in Anacortes, Washington, at the time of his death. He is buried in Anacortes, Washington.
McCool completed flight training and was designated a Naval Aviator in August 1986. He was assigned to Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 129 (VAQ-129) at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington, for initial EA-6B Prowler training. His first operational tour was with Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 133 (VAQ-133), where he made two deployments aboard the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and received designation as a wing-qualified Landing Signal Officer (LSO). In November 1989, he was selected for the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School/Test Pilot School (TPS) Cooperative Education Program.
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