Elliot See

Elliot See
Name	Elliot See
Caption	Elliot See in 1962
Birth date	May 23, 1927
Birth place	Dallas, Texas, United States
Death date	February 28, 1966
Death place	St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Occupation	Naval aviator, test pilot, NASA astronaut
Alma mater	Southern Methodist University
Rank	Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy

Elliot See

Elliot McKay See Jr. was an American Naval Aviator and test pilot who became one of the first group of astronauts selected for Project Gemini during the Space Race. A graduate of Southern Methodist University and a decorated officer of the United States Navy, he was assigned as command pilot for Gemini 9 before his death in an aircraft accident in 1966. See's career intersected with major institutions such as NASA, North American Aviation, and the Manned Spacecraft Center.

Early life and education

See was born in Dallas, Texas and raised in a family connected to industrial and medical circles in the region. He attended Highland Park High School (University Park, Texas) and went on to study mechanical engineering at Southern Methodist University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. While at SMU he joined campus organizations and developed interests that led him to seek a commission with the United States Navy, influenced by contemporary aviation developments and the legacy of World War II naval aviation.

Naval and test pilot career

After receiving a commission, See trained as a Naval Aviator and flew carrier-based aircraft with fleet squadrons attached to the United States Navy. He later served as a test pilot for Naval Air Test Center programs and as an engineering test pilot with North American Aviation at the St. Louis plant, where he worked on the X-15 support and other prototype programs. His duties connected him with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics legacy and the rapidly evolving aerospace industry of the 1950s and early 1960s. See's flight experience included high-performance jet fighters, carrier operations aboard aircraft carriers such as USS Forrestal (CV-59), and specialized test work that brought him into contact with engineers from Rockwell International and managers from McDonnell Aircraft.

NASA selection and Project Gemini

In 1962 See was selected as part of NASA Astronaut Group 2, associated with the Project Gemini crew assignments that followed Project Mercury. He was named command pilot for the Gemini mission designated Gemini IX, paired with pilot Charles Bassett, while the backup crew included Thomas Stafford and Gene Cernan. Assignment procedures involved coordination with the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas, Flight Operations Directorate, and mission planners from NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.. See participated in training at facilities including the Manned Spacecraft Center and test simulations with contractors like North American Rockwell, and he contributed to rendezvous and extravehicular activity (EVA) procedures that related to upcoming Apollo program concepts.

Personal life

See married and had a family life rooted in communities near St. Louis and Houston. He maintained friendships with contemporaries from the astronaut corps such as Gus Grissom, John Young, Alan Shepard, and Jim Lovell, and he socialized within circles that included engineers from North American Aviation and managers from NASA. Outside aviation, See had interests in flying clubs and community organizations common among test pilots and astronauts of the era.

Death and investigation

On February 28, 1966, See and his crewmate Charles Bassett were killed when their McDonnell F-4 Phantom II-derived T-38 Talon jet crashed into the McDonnell Aircraft building in St. Louis, Missouri during poor weather. The accident occurred shortly after takeoff from Lambert–St. Louis International Airport as the crew attempted an approach in low cloud and freezing rain. Investigations by National Transportation Safety Board-type inquiry procedures, assisted by NASA accident review boards and company safety engineers from McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, examined factors including pilot disorientation, instrument approach procedures, ground-controlled approach guidance, and the influence of airfield weather reports from Federal Aviation Administration operations. The findings cited pilot error compounded by adverse meteorological conditions and visual misidentification of airport structures, leading to substantial reforms in astronaut flight rules, crew transport policies, and training protocols across NASA and contractor organizations.

Legacy and honors

See's death prompted institutional changes at NASA and within aerospace contractors such as McDonnell Aircraft and North American Aviation, including revised rules for astronaut flying, stricter weather minima for crew travel, and centralized crew transportation procedures involving military and contractor coordination. Memorials include listings at astronaut monuments near the Johnson Space Center and remembrance ceremonies by organizations such as the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation and local aviation museums in St. Louis and Dallas. His name appears in historical treatments of the Gemini program and in archival collections maintained by the National Air and Space Museum and the NASA Historical Reference Collection.

Category:American astronauts Category:1927 births Category:1966 deaths Category:United States Navy officers