Clifton Williams
NASA astronaut who died before flying in space.
Clifton Curtis Williams Jr. (September 26, 1932 – October 5, 1967) was an American naval aviator, test pilot, mechanical engineer, U.S. Marine Corps major, and NASA astronaut. He died in a plane crash before ever reaching space, but his memory is preserved on the Apollo 12 mission patch and on the Moon’s surface.
Born in Mobile, Alabama, Williams earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Auburn University in 1954. He joined the Marine Corps through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, became a naval aviator in 1956, and served with the Fleet Marine Force. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1961, he spent three years in the Carrier Suitability Branch at NAS Patuxent River, testing aircraft like the F-8 and A-4.
Selected as part of NASA’s third astronaut group in 1963, Williams served as backup pilot for Gemini 10 in July 1966. He was then chosen by Pete Conrad as Lunar Module Pilot for an Apollo mission that would later become Apollo 12. After Williams’s death, Alan Bean took his place on that crew. On Bean’s suggestion, the Apollo 12 mission patch featured four stars instead of three—one for each astronaut and one for Williams. During his moonwalk, Bean left Williams’s naval aviator wings and silver astronaut pin on the lunar surface.
Williams married Jane Elizabeth “Beth” Lansche, a former waterskiing performer, in 1964. They had two daughters: Catherine Ann, born in January 1967, and Jane Dee, born in May 1968, after his death.
On October 5, 1967, Williams was flying a NASA T-38 jet trainer from Cape Canaveral to Houston, with a stop in Mobile to visit his dying father. A mechanical failure jammed the aileron controls near Tallahassee, Florida, causing an uncontrollable roll. The aircraft dove straight down between pine trees 100 feet apart and crashed. Williams activated the ejection seat, but it did not save him. He was 35 years old and held the rank of major. He was the fourth astronaut from NASA’s third group to die, following Charles Bassett, Theodore Freeman, and Roger Chaffee.
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Clifton Curtis Williams, Jr.
- Birth Date
- 1932-09-26
- Birth Place
- Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
- Death Date
- 1967-10-05
- Death Place
- near Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
- Resting Place
- Arlington National Cemetery
- Education
- Spring Hill College / Auburn University (BS)
- Spouse
- Jane Elizabeth Lansche · 1 July, 1964
- Children
- 2
- Rank
- Major, USMC
- Selection
- NASA Group 3 (1963)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Williams received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Auburn University in 1954 and joined the U.S. Marine Corps through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. He became a Naval Aviator in 1956 and graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1961. As a test pilot, he worked for three years in the Carrier Suitability Branch of the Flight Test Division at NAS Patuxent River.
Selected for NASA's third group of astronauts in 1963, Williams served as backup pilot for Gemini 10 in July 1966. He was then chosen by Pete Conrad to be the Lunar Module Pilot for an Apollo mission to the Moon. After Williams's death, Alan Bean replaced him on Conrad's crew, which became Apollo 12, the second lunar landing. On Bean's suggestion, the Apollo 12 mission patch had four stars instead of three—one for each astronaut and one for Williams. During his moonwalk, Bean left Williams's naval aviator wings and silver astronaut pin on the lunar surface.
Reader's Guide
Clifton Williams never reached space, yet his presence is permanently marked on the Moon. His selection as Lunar Module Pilot for what became Apollo 12—and the subsequent decision by Alan Bean to carry his wings and pin to the lunar surface—ensures his name is tied to one of humanity's greatest achievements. The four-star Apollo 12 patch, with one star for Williams, serves as a visible reminder of the cost of exploration. His death, caused by a mechanical failure in a T-38 jet trainer, underscores the dangers faced by astronauts even in training and transit. Williams's career as a test pilot and his pioneering rear-cockpit carrier landing demonstrated the skills that made him a valuable astronaut candidate. His story is part of the broader narrative of the Apollo program, where loss and achievement are intertwined.
Did You Know?
- Williams was the first bachelor astronaut, marrying Jane Elizabeth 'Beth' Lansche in 1964.
- He became the first pilot to land a two-seat jet on an aircraft carrier from the rear cockpit in 1962.
- His daughter Jane Dee Williams was born nearly eight months after his death.
- The Apollo 12 mission patch has four stars: one for each of the three astronauts and one for Williams.
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