| Aircraft
Accidents Theodore Freeman Charles Bassett II Elliot See Clifton Williams, Jr. Robert Lawrence Michael Adams Yuri Gagarin John McKay Stephen Thorne Stanley David Griggs Manley Carter, Jr. Patricia Hilliard Robertson
Apollo 1
Soyuz 11
Challenger STS-51L
Columbia
STS-107 Other |
Born: 18 February 1930 in Haverford, Pennsylvania. Education: He attended the University of Delaware at Newark for one year, then entered the United States Naval Academy and was graduated in 1953 with a bachelor of science degree. In 1960, he received a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Michigan. Marital Status: Married the former Faith Dudley Clark. Children: Faith Huntington. Professional Organizations: Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Experience: Ted Freeman's last Air Force assignment was as a flight test instructor at the Air Force's Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California. He served primarily in performance flight testing and stability testing areas. He logged more than 3,000 hours flying time, including more than 2,000 hours in jet aircraft. NASA Experience: Ted Freeman was selected in Group 3 on 18 October 1963. He was assigned to the Apollo branch headed by Gordon Cooper. These astronauts were those expected to be Apollo pilots. On 31 October 1964, Freeman took a routine T-38 flight over the Gulf of Mexico. He was lined up with runway 4 at Ellington AFB, near Houston, when the tower waved him off due to other air traffic. Ted began to climb again and turn to the east to go around for another try. During his turn, a snow goose struck the left side of the canopy, shattering it. Pieces of Plexiglas entered both engines, which continued to operate long enough for him to level out. He ejected, but only after aiming the aircraft away from a group of military houses. By that time he was very low, and the nose of the aircraft was pointing down. The parachute never had time to fully deploy. A few minutes later, Deke Slayton and a NASA doctor arrived to find him still in his seat near the smoking remains of the T-38. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Had he not been killed, he may have flown a Gemini mission before moving on to Apollo. Other Information/Honors: In 1967 the city of Long Beach, California named four islands in San Padro Bay after Ted Freeman and the crew of Apollo 1: Island Freeman, Island Grissom, Island White and Island Chaffee. In 1968, a 54 mile diameter crater on the moon was named Freeman Crater. Quote: "We don't look on this as dangerous work. It's about the most fascinating job I could imagine." |
