A routine training flight in 1966 ended in tragedy, changing the path to the Moon.
In short: Two veteran astronauts died when their jet crashed into the very factory where their spacecraft was being built. The accident claimed the lives of the Gemini 9 prime crew, forcing a sudden reshuffle of flight assignments that ultimately paved the way for Buzz Aldrin to walk on the lunar surface.
On February 28, 1966, astronauts Elliot See and Charles Bassett were flying from Houston to St. Louis for simulator training. They were piloting Northrop T-38 Talon jets toward Lambert Field, where their Gemini 9 spacecraft was undergoing final assembly at the McDonnell Aircraft facility. As they arrived, the weather conditions were poor, characterized by rain, snow, and low-hanging clouds. Both pilots missed their initial approach and overshot the runway, leading See to attempt a visual circling maneuver to land.
During this attempt, See’s aircraft dropped too far to the left of the runway. In a final effort to recover, he engaged the afterburner and initiated a sharp right turn, but the jet struck the roof of Building 101 at 8:58 a.m. CST. Both men died instantly. While the spacecraft they were scheduled to fly remained intact, the crash caused minor damage to another vehicle and injured 17 people inside the facility. A NASA investigation panel, led by Alan Shepard, ultimately concluded that the accident resulted from pilot error, specifically See's failure to maintain visual contact with the airfield.
The loss of the prime crew triggered a significant shift in NASA’s flight rotations. The backup crew, Thomas Stafford and Eugene Cernan, were promoted to the primary position for the mission, renamed Gemini 9A. This change rippled through the program, moving Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin into the backup slot for Gemini 9A. Through the standard rotation, Aldrin subsequently secured a prime crew seat for Gemini 12. This experience proved critical, as it provided the necessary flight credentials that made him a viable candidate for the historic Apollo 11 mission three years later.
The legacy of the crash remains a subject of debate among those who knew the pilots. While the official report labeled See as a cautious pilot who simply lost his visual reference, some colleagues, such as Deke Slayton, were highly critical of his flying style. Conversely, figures like Neil Armstrong defended See’s professional capabilities. Despite the tragedy, the incident did not delay the space program, as the Gemini 9 spacecraft was delivered to NASA just two days after the collision.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 1966 NASA T-38 crash
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-1966-nasa-t-38-crash.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Explorers · More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
