Investigation Summary
The flight was a routine transit from Houston to St. Louis for simulator training. Two T-38s flew in formation, with Elliot See and Charles Bassett in NASA 901 and the backup crew, Tom Stafford and Gene Cernan, in NASA 907. Upon arrival at Lambert Field, the weather was poor with a cloud ceiling of 1,500 feet and broken clouds at 800 feet. Both aircraft overshot the runway during their initial instrument approach. While Stafford elected to follow missed approach procedures and climbed back into the clouds, See attempted a visual circling approach to Runway 24. During the turn, See lost visual contact with the ground in the fog and snow. The aircraft descended too low and struck the roof of McDonnell Building 101, cartwheeled, and crashed into a nearby parking lot. The impact occurred only 500 feet from the cleanroom where the Gemini 9 spacecraft was housed.
Final Conclusions
The NASA investigation panel, chaired by Alan Shepard, determined the primary cause was pilot error. The report cited the pilot's inability to maintain visual reference for a landing as the critical factor. While the panel investigated potential medical issues and maintenance problems, no evidence was found to suggest mechanical failure. The crash resulted in a significant reshuffling of NASA crew assignments, leading to Stafford and Cernan becoming the prime Gemini 9A crew and eventually positioning Buzz Aldrin for his role on Apollo 11.
Video Analysis
The Gemini 9 Disaster | 1966 NASA T-38 crash — A detailed look at the 1966 crash that killed astronauts Elliot See and Charles Bassett, including the impact on the Gemini program and the subsequent crew rotations.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Systems & Failure Modes
Afterburner
The pilot engaged the afterburners in the final seconds to increase thrust while attempting a steep climbing turn to avoid the building.
Ejection Seat
The aircraft was equipped with ejection seats, but they were not successfully utilized; See was thrown from the aircraft upon impact while still strapped to the seat.
Interesting Facts
- 01The crash occurred within 500 feet of the Gemini 9 spacecraft (S/C9) the crew was scheduled to fly.
- 02Spacecraft S/C9 was undamaged in the accident and was shipped to NASA just two days later.
- 03Debris from the T-38 struck the unfinished Gemini 10 spacecraft (S/C10) inside the building.
- 04Seventeen McDonnell employees on the ground sustained minor injuries.
- 05The pilot, Elliot See, was found still strapped to his ejection seat in the parking lot.
- 06Charles Bassett was decapitated on impact; his remains were recovered from the rafters of the assembly building.
- 07The backup crew in the second aircraft was unaware of the crash until after they landed safely.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Crew Reassignment
NASA implemented a major reshuffle of flight crews for the Gemini and Apollo programs to ensure mission continuity following the loss of the prime crew.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Piloting Skill Assessment
Reference ↗Chief astronaut Deke Slayton criticized See's piloting as 'old-womanish' in his memoirs, while other astronauts, including Neil Armstrong, defended See's professional competence.