On the morning of Sept. 21, the Endeavor space shuttle flew over the state prison mounted atop a Boeing 747 with an escort by an F-16 fighter jet, surprising about 500 inmates on San Quentin’s Lower Yard.
“It was flying so low, it felt like I could reach up and touch it,” said inmate Frankie Smith.
The unexpected event took place while inmates played sports or walked counter-clockwise on the outer edges of the yard, on what was supposed to be an ordinary Friday morning in prison.
As the aircrafts approached, the sound of jet engines silenced the crowded yard. The men stood still, eyes skyward, following the east to west flight path of the aircraft. Prisoners held their hands on their foreheads to block the sun’s glare as the shuttle’s scorched insulation tiles were visible to the inmates for about 14 seconds as it passed over.
“All of a sudden we heard the sound of an oncoming aircraft,” said inmate Pedro Espinal. “Right above us was the space shuttle Endeavour riding piggyback on top of a 747. It was truly a sight to see and remember.”
Inmates standing near the prison’s new medical building had the best view of Endeavour because the five-story building blocked the direct sunlight, which decreased the aircrafts’ glare.
“The guys who were lucky enough to be on the yard this morning will forever remember seeing this American icon,” said one inmate. “It looked like the whole yard was saluting the shuttle.”
Inmates began to cheer, yell, and whistle, while waving the shuttle good-bye as it disappeared toward the San Francisco skies. After the shuttle passed the prison, some inmates went back to their routine while others stood staring at the sky, in hopes that the aircraft would circle back over the prison.
“My daughter Anjelica and I are able to share a historical-setting moment, even though she’s 1,000 miles way, in El Paso,” said an inmate who wished to remain anonymous.
