Selected by NASA in April 1996, McCool reported to the Johnson Space Center the following August. McCool accumulated over 2,800 hours flight experience in 24 aircraft and over 400 carrier arrestments. He served as Administrative and Operations Officer with the squadron through their work-up cycle, receiving notice of his NASA selection while embarked on Enterprise for her final pre-deployment at sea period.
Following his Patuxent River tour, McCool returned to Whidbey Island, and was assigned to Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 132 ( VAQ-132) aboard the carrier USS Enterprise. However, McCool's primary efforts were dedicated to flight test of the Advanced Capability (ADVCAP) EA-6B. He was responsible for the management and conduct of a wide variety of projects, ranging from airframe fatigue life studies to numerous avionics upgrades. Īfter graduating from TPS in June 1992, McCool worked as a TA-4J and EA-6B test pilot in Flight Systems Department of Strike Aircraft Test Directorate at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. Naval Postgraduate School/ Test Pilot School (TPS) Cooperative Education Program. In November 1989, McCool was selected for the U.S. McCool's 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). He was assigned to Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 129 ( VAQ-129) at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington, for initial EA-6B Prowler training. McCool completed flight training and was designated a Naval Aviator in August 1986. 1992: Received a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S.1991: Graduated from United States Naval Test Pilot School, Naval Air Station Patuxent River - Class 101.1985: Received a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, College Park.1983: Received a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Science from the United States Naval Academy.1979: Graduated from Coronado High School, Lubbock, Texas.McCool is buried in Anacortes, Washington, where he lived at the time of his death. He was survived by his wife, Lani, and their three sons. McCool died on February 1, 2003, when Space Shuttle Columbia broke up over the southern United States during reentry.
McCool's favorite band was Radiohead, and the song " Fake Plastic Trees" was played by Mission Control as a wake-up call. His favorite song was " Imagine" by John Lennon, which was played during the STS-107 mission. McCool was active in the Boy Scouts of America, where he became an Eagle Scout. His parents divorced when he was young, and his mother married Barent McCool, a Naval aviator. McCool was born on September 23, 1961, in San Diego, California. McCool was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. He and the rest of the crew of STS-107 were killed when Columbia disintegrated during reentry into the atmosphere. William Cameron McCool (September 23, 1961 – February 1, 2003) 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.
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