View source for Elliot See

{{Short description|American astronaut (1927–1966)}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox astronaut
|image         = Elliot See - S64-29933.jpg
|caption       = See in 1964
|birth_name    = Elliot McKay See Jr.
|birth_date    = {{birth date|1927|7|23}}
|birth_place   = [[Dallas]], [[Texas]], U.S.
|death_date    = {{death date and age|1966|2|28|1927|7|23}}
|death_place   = [[St. Louis]], [[Missouri]], U.S.
|restingplace  = [[Arlington National Cemetery]]
|education     = [[University of Texas, Austin]] (attended)<br>[[United States Merchant Marine Academy]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<br>[[University of California, Los Angeles]] ([[Master of Science|MS]])
|type          = [[NASA astronaut]]
|selection     = [[NASA Astronaut Group 2|1962 NASA Group 2]]
|rank          = [[Commander (United States)|Commander]], [[United States Navy Reserve|USNR]]
}}
'''Elliot McKay See Jr.''' (July 23, 1927 – February 28, 1966) was an American [[engineer]], [[United States naval aviator|naval aviator]], [[test pilot]] and [[NASA astronaut]].

See received an appointment to the [[United States Merchant Marine Academy]] in 1945. He graduated in 1949 with a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in [[marine engineering]] and a [[United States Navy Reserve|United States Naval Reserve]] commission, and joined the Aircraft Gas Turbine Division of [[General Electric]] as an engineer. He was called to active duty as a [[naval aviator]] during the [[Korean War]], and flew [[Grumman F9F Panther]] fighters with [[VA-52 (U.S. Navy)|Fighter Squadron 144]] (VF-144) from the [[aircraft carrier]] {{USS|Randolph|CV-15|6}} in the [[Mediterranean]], and {{USS|Boxer|CV-21|6}} in the [[Western Pacific Ocean|Western Pacific]]. He married Marilyn Denahy in 1954, and they had three children.

See rejoined General Electric (GE) in 1956 as a [[flight test engineer]] after his tour of duty, and became a group leader and experimental test pilot at [[Edwards Air Force Base]], where he flew the latest jet aircraft with GE engines. He also obtained a [[Master of Science]] degree in [[aeronautical engineering]] from [[UCLA]].

Selected in NASA's [[NASA Astronaut Group 2|second group of astronauts]] in 1962, See was the prime command pilot for what would have been his first space flight, [[Gemini 9]]. He was killed along with [[Charles Bassett]], his Gemini 9 crewmate, in a [[1966 NASA T-38 crash|NASA jet crash]] at the [[St. Louis]] [[McDonnell Aircraft]] plant, where they were to undergo two weeks of [[space rendezvous]] simulator training.

==Early life and education==
Elliot McKay See Jr. was born on July 23, 1927, in [[Dallas, Texas]], to Elliot McKay See Sr. (1888–1968) and Mamie Norton See ({{nee}} Drummond; 1900–1988).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28957076/the_philadelphia_inquirer/|title=New Astronauts, 9 Hottest Jet Pilots in the U.S., Have Been Training a Year|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|date=September 18, 1962|page=3|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He was the first of two children; his sister Sally Drummond See rounded out the family in 1930.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=36}} His father was an [[electrical engineer]] who worked for [[General Electric]], and his mother worked in jobs ranging from advertising to real estate.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=36}} See was active in the [[Boy Scouts of America]] for five years, and earned the rank of [[Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)|Eagle Scout]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scouting.org/FILESTORE/pdf/02-558.pdf|title=Astronauts and the BSA|access-date=June 25, 2016|website=[[Boy Scouts of America]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622104220/http://www.scouting.org/FILESTORE/pdf/02-558.pdf|archive-date=June 22, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> He attended [[Highland Park High School (University Park, Texas)|Highland Park High School]] and was on the varsity team in several sports, including boxing. He was also on the [[Reserve Officer Training Corps]] (ROTC) Rifle Team. He graduated from high school in 1945.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=36}}

The United States entered [[World War II]] in December 1941. See had to choose between going to war or going to college, as he would otherwise be drafted at age 18. He decided to apply for aviation cadet training. He failed a physical, and, according to See, "going to college became the most important thing". He enrolled at the [[University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas]], and after a few months pledged to [[Phi Kappa Psi]]. While at the University of Texas, he signed up for flying lessons and received his [[private pilot's license]].{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|pp=37–38}}

See applied for military officer training and received an appointment to the [[United States Merchant Marine Academy]] (USMMA) in 1945. As the end of the war drew near, the USMMA changed its curriculum to a four-year college-level program, which was the minimum requirement to be a merchant marine in peacetime. He spent his [[United States Merchant Marine Academy#Curriculum|plebe]] year at [[Pass Christian, Mississippi]], where the USMMA had a [[satellite campus]], and then transferred to the main [[campus]] at [[Kings Point, New York]]. He commanded the Third Company as a cadet officer. He was a member of the Propeller Club and head [[cheerleader]]. He was on the [[4 × 400 metres relay|mile relay]] running team, played intramural [[softball]], and was a varsity boxer. As co-captain of the rifle team, he won the Captain Tomb Trophy for individual rifle and pistol marksmanship in December 1948.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|pp=37–38}} In 1949, [[United States Congress|Congress]] authorized the USMMA to award [[Bachelor of Science]] degrees to its graduates,<ref>{{cite web |title=USMMA History |website= U.S. Merchant Marine Academy |url=https://www.usmma.edu/about/usmma-history |access-date= June 7, 2019|date= January 18, 2013 }}</ref> so on graduation that year Elliot received his B.S. degree, his marine engineer's licenses, and a commission as an officer in the [[United States Navy Reserve|United States Naval Reserve]].{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|pp=37–38}}

==Navy service and General Electric==
[[File:LT(jg) Elliot See.jpg|thumb|upright|left| See as a [[lieutenant (junior grade)]] during his tour of duty on {{USS|Boxer|CV-21|6}}]]
After graduation, See took a summer job with [[Lykes Brothers Steamship Company]]. On September 1, 1949, he joined the Aircraft Gas Turbine Division of General Electric, the firm his father had worked for, in [[Boston]]. He moved to [[Cincinnati, Ohio]], when the division was relocated.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|pp=40–41}} There he met Marilyn Jane Denahy from [[Georgetown, Ohio]], who worked at General Electric as a secretary.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Life (magazine)|Life]] |title=Head Over Heels for What's Out There |pages=30–39, 81–90 |date=September 27, 1963 |volume=55 |issue=19 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NFIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA86 |access-date=May 10, 2019 }}</ref> He and his friend Tay Haney pooled their funds to buy a [[Luscombe Silvaire Sprayer]] aircraft, which they flew on cross-country trips. In November 1952, while taking Marilyn on a joyride, the Luscombe's engine began to fail. See attempted to land the aircraft on a short, unimproved field, but the tail wheel snagged a power line and forced the aircraft into the ground. See suffered deep cuts to his face which required [[plastic surgery]]. Marilyn escaped the crash with only minor injuries.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|pp=40–41}}

By 1953, See was working as a [[flight test engineer]] at General Electric's plant in [[Evendale, Ohio]]. Like many naval reservists, he was called to [[active duty]] due to the [[Korean War]]. He was initially stationed at [[Miramar Naval Air Station]] near [[San Diego, California]].{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|pp=40–41}}<ref name="bios">{{cite news |newspaper=NASA Roundup |volume=1 |issue=24 |date=September 19, 1962 |pages=1, 4–5 |title= MSC Names Nine New Pilot Trainees |url=https://historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/history/roundups/issues/62-09-19.pdf |access-date=May 7, 2019 }}</ref> He married Marilyn on September 30, 1954, before shipping out for a sixteen-month operational tour as a [[naval aviator]], flying the [[Grumman F9F Panther]] with [[VA-52 (U.S. Navy)|Fighter Squadron 144]] (VF-144), part of [[Carrier Air Wing Fourteen|Carrier Air Group 14]]. He was deployed to the [[Mediterranean]] on the [[aircraft carrier]] {{USS|Randolph|CV-15|6}}, which returned to the United States in June 1955.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|pp=41–43}}<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Naval Historical Center |work=A Brief History of Aircraft Carriers |title=USS ''Randolph'' (CV 15) |url=https://www.navy.mil/navydata/ships/carriers/histories/cv15-randolph/cv15-randolph.html |access-date=May 9, 2019 |archive-date=October 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007174141/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/ships/carriers/histories/cv15-randolph/cv15-randolph.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In October, after further training at [[Naval Air Facility El Centro|El Centro Naval Air Station]], [[California]], he embarked with VF-144 on an operational cruise on the aircraft carrier {{USS|Boxer|CV-21|6}}, which formed part of [[Task Force 77 (United States Navy)|Task Force 77]]. The task force traveled to [[Hawaii]], [[Japan]], the [[Philippine Islands]], and [[Hong Kong]].{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=42}} See primarily focused on line maintenance, but also became proficient at carrier landings.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|pp=41–43}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/cv21-56/index.html |title=USS ''Boxer'' (CVA 21) WestPac Cruise Book 1955–56 |website=U.S. Navy |access-date=May 10, 2019 }}</ref> By the end of the tour, he had reached the rank of [[lieutenant commander (United States)|lieutenant commander]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.americaspace.com/2016/02/27/a-very-great-honor-50-years-since-the-accident-which-changed-project-gemini-part-1/ |title='A Very Great Honor': 50 Years Since the Accident Which Changed Project Gemini (Part 1) |website=AmericaSpace |first= Ben |last=Evans |date=February 27, 2016 |access-date=May 10, 2019 }}</ref> He returned home in February 1956, in time for the birth of his first child, Sally.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|pp=41–43}} The couple later had two more children: Carolyn in 1957, and David in 1962.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.astronautsmemorial.org/elliot-m-see-jr-honored.html |title=Elliot M. See Jr. |website=[[The Astronauts Memorial Foundation]], The Center for Space Education |access-date=October 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706004525/http://www.astronautsmemorial.org/elliot-m-see-jr-honored.html |archive-date=July 6, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

See rejoined General Electric in 1956 as a flight test engineer after his tour of duty. He became a group leader and experimental test pilot at [[Edwards Air Force Base]], California, where the [[United States Air Force]] conducted flight tests.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|pp=41–43}} He served as a project pilot for the development of the [[General Electric J79]]-8 engine used in the [[F4H]] aircraft. He also conducted [[Aircraft engine|powerplant]] flight tests on the [[General Electric J47|J-47]], [[General Electric J73|J-73]], [[J-79]], [[General Electric CJ805|CJ805]] and CJ805 [[turbofan|aft-fan]] engines, which involved flying in [[F-86]], [[Douglas F4D Skyray|XF4D]], [[F-104]], [[Grumman F11F-1F Super Tiger|F11F-1F]], [[RB-66]], F4H, and [[Northrop T-38 Talon|T-38]] aircraft.<ref name="NASA Bio" /> He worked towards his [[master's degree]] one night a week, starting in 1960,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=300EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA9|title=Picture of the Week|magazine=[[Life (magazine)|Life]]|date=September 28, 1962|publisher=Time|issn=0024-3019|volume=53|issue=13|page=9}}</ref> eventually obtaining a [[Master of Science]] degree in [[aeronautical engineering]] from [[UCLA]] in 1962,<ref name="bios" /> and continued flying with the Naval Reserve. He was eventually promoted to [[commander (United States)|commander]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.americaspace.com/2016/02/28/50-years-since-the-accident-which-changed-project-gemini-part-2/ |title='A Very Great Honor': 50 Years Since the Accident Which Changed Project Gemini (Part 2) |website=AmericaSpace |first= Ben |last=Evans |date=February 28, 2016 |access-date=May 10, 2019 }}</ref>

==NASA==
[[File:Gemini_5_Elliot_See_water_egress_training.jpg|thumb|See during water egress training]]
In 1962, See applied to become a [[NASA]] [[astronaut]]. After undergoing preliminary evaluations, medical tests, and interviews during the selection process,{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=44}} See was selected to be in NASA's second group of astronauts, known as [[NASA Astronaut Group 2|The New Nine]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33352619/the_tampa_tribune/|title=Here are the Next Nine Astronauts Who Will Join in U.S. Race to the Moon|newspaper=The Tampa Tribune|location=Tampa, Florida|date=September 18, 1962|page=4|via=Newspapers.com|agency=UPI}}</ref> He was 35 at the time of his selection; the oldest in the group.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=44}} On his selection, he said "Overwhelmed isn't the right word. I was amazed and certainly pleased. It's a very great honor."{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=44}} At the time of his selection, See had logged more than 3,900 hours of flying time, including more than 3,300 in [[jet aircraft]].<ref name="NASA Bio">{{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/see_elliot.pdf |title=Astronaut Bio: Elliot M. See Jr.|website=NASA |date=February 1966|access-date=May 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307203359/https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/see-em.html|archive-date=March 7, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=44}} He drove from Edwards with fellow civilian pilot [[Neil Armstrong]] to start his new career in [[Houston]], Texas, where the new [[Manned Spacecraft Center]] (MSC) was under construction.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=45}}

Every astronaut was assigned a core competency, a special area in which they had to develop expertise, by the NASA Astronaut Office. The knowledge they gathered could then be shared with the others, and the astronaut-expert was expected to provide astronaut input to the spacecraft designers and engineers. See's special area of expertise was the spacecraft electrical and sequential systems, and the coordination of mission planning.{{sfn|Burgess|2013|p=166}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/remembering-nasa-astronauts-elliot-see-and-charles-bassett|title=Remembering NASA Astronauts Elliot See and Charles Bassett|date=February 26, 2016|website=NASA|access-date=February 1, 2018|archive-date=April 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420122029/https://www.nasa.gov/feature/remembering-nasa-astronauts-elliot-see-and-charles-bassett/|url-status=dead}}</ref> See was tasked with determining if the crewed lunar landing should occur in direct sunlight or using light reflected from the [[Earth]]. To help make the decision, he flew helicopters and airplanes wearing special welding goggles to simulate different lighting conditions.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=48}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NFIEAAAAMBAJ&q=Elliot%20See%20How%20much%20light&pg=PA86|title=How Much Light in Earthshine?|last1=See Jr.|first1=Elliot|magazine=Life|page=86B|publisher=Time Inc.|volume=55|issue=13|date=September 27, 1963|via=Google Books|issn=0024-3019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35559995/the_indianapolis_star/|title=Moon Explorers Face Light Problems|last1=See Jr.|first1=Elliot M.|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|location=Indianapolis, Indiana|date=August 23, 1964|page=18|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> See also landed helicopters with [[Jim Lovell]] on lava flows that simulated the terrain on the Moon.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UUgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA99|title=Ugly, Unearthly Bug|last1=Conrad|first1=Pete|page=99|magazine=Life|publisher=Time|date=October 2, 1964|issn=0024-3019|volume=57|issue=14}}</ref>

See was announced as the backup pilot for [[Gemini 5]] on February 8, 1965, with Armstrong serving as the backup command pilot.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=45}} They were the first civilians selected for a spaceflight.<ref>{{cite news|title=7-Day Space Flight Astronauts Selected|newspaper=Tampa Bay Times|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=February 9, 1965|access-date=February 1, 2018|page=2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17081486/}}</ref> Gemini 5 was launched on August 21, 1965. Early in the flight, a problem was discovered with the [[fuel cell]]s, and the [[flight controller]]s considered ending the mission early. See, who had worked with General Electric in developing the fuel cells, was confident that they could find a solution. Flight Director [[Chris Kraft]] gave them 24 hours to fix the problem. After working through the night, they diagnosed the problem and developed procedures that allowed the astronauts to fix the fuel cells, which allowed the mission to continue.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=46}}

See was a [[capsule communicator]] (CAPCOM) at MSC in Houston during the [[Gemini 7]]/[[Gemini 6A]] [[Space rendezvous|rendezvous]] mission in December 1965. Under the crew rotation system devised by chief astronaut [[Deke Slayton]], as the backup for Gemini 5, Armstrong and See were in line for prime crew of [[Gemini 8]].<ref name="NASA Bio"/>{{sfn|Slayton|Cassutt|1994|pp=138, 168}}{{sfn|Reichl|2016|p=110}} From the spring to the fall of 1965, Armstrong and See trained for the Gemini 5 mission. They spent a significant amount of time training in the spacecraft simulators. They flew back and forth to [[Kennedy Space Center]], from which their spacecraft would be launched; to [[North Carolina]] to develop experiments to be conducted during the flight; and to [[McDonnell Aircraft]] in [[St. Louis]], where the [[Gemini spacecraft]] was made.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=45}}

Contrary to Slayton's typical crew rotation, [[David Scott]] took See's place as the pilot of Gemini 8.<ref name="NASA Bio"/>{{sfn|Slayton|Cassutt|1994|pp=138, 168}}{{sfn|Reichl|2016|p=110}} According to his autobiography, Slayton did not assign See to Gemini 8 because he considered him as too out-of-shape to perform an [[extravehicular activity]]. ''Life'' photographer Ralph Morse asked Armstrong why See was no longer assigned with him on the Gemini 8 mission, and Armstrong replied, "Elliot's too good a pilot not to have a command of his own."<ref name=life /> In October 1965 See was promoted to command pilot (first seat) of [[Gemini 9]], with [[Charles Bassett]] as his pilot.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=110}} The Gemini 9 mission was similar to the previous mission. An extravehicular activity (EVA) that used the [[Astronaut propulsion unit|Astronaut Maneuvering Unit]] (AMU) was scheduled, and they would rendezvous with an [[Agena target vehicle]].{{sfn|Reichl|2016|p=110}} Bassett was scheduled for the EVA and See would stay in the capsule.<ref name=life>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KkwEAAAAMBAJ&q=elliot+see+astronaut&pg=PA34|via=Google Books|title=A Perfectly Paired Gemini Team Falls to Earth|last1=Morse|first1=Ralph|magazine=Life|page=34|publisher=Time Inc.|volume=60|issue=10|date=March 11, 1966|issn=0024-3019}}</ref>

==Death==
{{stack|
[[File:The Original Gemini 9 Prime Crew - GPN-2000-001352.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Elliot See and [[Charles Bassett]]]]
[[File:ANCExplorer Elliot See grave.jpg|thumb|Grave of Elliot See at [[Arlington National Cemetery]]]]
}}
{{main|1966 NASA T-38 crash}}
On February 28, 1966, See and Charles Bassett were flying with their backup crew, [[Gene Cernan]] and [[Thomas P. Stafford|Thomas Stafford]], from [[Ellington Air Force Base]] to [[Lambert Field]] in [[St. Louis]], Missouri, for two weeks of space rendezvous simulator training.<ref name="losingtm" /> The prime crew flew in one jet and the backup crew in another. See was the pilot of their [[T-38 Talon|T-38]] trainer jet, with Bassett in the rear seat.<ref name="ajshoot">{{cite news |first=Di |last=Freeze |work=Airport Journals |title=Gene Cernan: Always Shoot for the Moon, Part I |url=http://www.airportjournals.com/display.cfm?varid=0507004 |date=July 2005 |access-date=June 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120627064334/http://airportjournals.com/Display.cfm?varID=0507004 |archive-date=June 27, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The weather at Lambert Field that Monday morning was poor and required an [[instrument approach]]. Both jets overshot the initial landing attempt; See continued with a [[visual circling approach]] and Stafford elected to follow the standard procedure for a [[missed approach]]. On his second attempt, See undershot the runway, hit the afterburners and turned to the right.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|pp=33–34}}

The jet crashed into McDonnell Aircraft Building 101, where the Gemini spacecraft was built. See was found in a parking lot still strapped to his ejection seat. Both astronauts died instantly from trauma sustained in the accident, within {{convert|500|ft|spell=in}} of their spacecraft. See and Bassett were buried near each other in [[Arlington National Cemetery]]; their graves are about {{convert|100|yd|round=5|spell=in}} from [[Theodore Freeman]], another astronaut who had died in a T-38 crash sixteen months earlier.<ref name="losingtm">{{cite magazine |first=W. Pate |last=McMichael |magazine=[[St. Louis Magazine]] |location=[[St. Louis, MO]] |title=Losing The Moon |url=http://www.stlmag.com/St-Louis-Magazine/May-2006/Losing-The-Moon/ |date=May 2006 |access-date=2016-10-09 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33458404/the_daily_sentinel/|title=Astronauts See, Bassett Paid Arlington Tributes|newspaper=The Daily Sentinel|location=Grand Junction, Colorado|date=1966-03-04 |page=14|agency=Associated Press|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name=tsaarl>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SCgRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5107%2C599673 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |agency=Associated Press |title=Taps sounded at Arlington |date=1966-03-04 |page=5A}}</ref>

After a reporter had disclosed to Freeman's wife that he had died, NASA enacted new policies to avoid a similar embarrassing situation in the future. In compliance with these policies, astronaut [[John Young (astronaut)|John Young]] asked Marilyn Lovell and Jane Conrad to go to Marilyn See's house and ensure that she did not find out about her husband's death from a non-NASA source. They rushed over and made excuses for their early surprise visit. After Young arrived to break the news, the three hugged her for comfort. Marilyn Lovell then went to the school to pick up Marilyn See's children, to make sure they did not find out from the press.{{sfn|Koppel|2013|pp=120–122}}

A NASA investigative panel later concluded that [[pilot error]], caused by bad weather, was the principal cause of the accident. The panel concluded that See was flying too low on his second approach, probably due to poor visibility.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Space News Roundup |publisher=NASA |title=Accident Board Reports Findings in See–Bassett Crash |url=http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/roundups/issues/66-06-10.pdf |page=3 |date=June 10, 1966 |access-date=2012-06-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305013017/https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/roundups/issues/66-06-10.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-05 |url-status=dead}}</ref> At the time, See was known as one of the better pilots in the astronaut corps.{{sfn|Shayler|2000|p=82}} Slayton later expressed doubts about See's flying abilities, claiming that he flew too slowly: "[He] wasn't aggressive enough ... he flew too slow—a fatal problem in a plane like the T-38, which will stall easily if you get below {{convert|270|kn}}<!-- [{{convert|270|kn|kph|disp=out}}]-->."{{sfn|Slayton|Cassutt|1994|p=167}}

[[Jim Lovell]] and [[Buzz Aldrin]] were promoted to the backup crew as a result of the accident. Stafford and Cernan, the original backup crew, were launched three months later on June 3, 1966, as [[Gemini&nbsp;9A]].{{sfn|Hacker|Grimwood|2010|p=332}} The shuffling of the Gemini crews caused by the deaths of See and Bassett affected crew assignments for subsequent Gemini and [[Project Apollo]] missions. In particular, Aldrin flew as the pilot of [[Gemini 12]], and later [[Apollo 11]].{{sfn|Slayton|Cassutt|1994|pp=167–168}}

On Friday, March 4, 1966, both men were buried in [[Arlington National Cemetery]].<ref name=tsaarl/><ref name=sptmbu>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=e99YAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wfcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1593%2C948653 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Space team is buried |date=March 4, 1966 |page=2}}</ref><ref name=fosranc>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=R2tWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4OgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5570%2C1091743 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press (photo) |title=At funeral of fellow astronaut |date=March 5, 1966 |page=12}}</ref> During funeral services in Texas two days before, Aldrin, [[Bill Anders]], and [[Walter Cunningham]] flew the [[missing man formation]] in See's honor,<ref name=tftrb>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RigRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6743%2C91994 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |agency=Associated Press |title=3 fly T38s in tribute to astronaut |date=March 2, 1966 |page=3A}}</ref> while Lovell, [[Jim McDivitt]], and civilian pilot Jere Cobb did the same to honor Bassett.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29300913/the_record/|title=Astronauts are Bid Farewell in Texas|agency=UPI|newspaper=The Record|location=Hackensack, New Jersey|date=March 3, 1966|page=37|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name=flytrb>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ed9YAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wfcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3292%2C270711 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Jet planes fly tribute at funeral |date=March 2, 1966 |page=2}}</ref>

==Legacy==
[[File:Space Mirror Memorial Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr., 1966 NASA T-38 crash (cropped).JPG|thumb|right|Names of See and Bassett on the Space Mirror Memorial]]
See was survived by his wife Marilyn and three children.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Life (magazine)|Life]] |title=The Fire and Fate Have Left Eight Widows |first=Dora Jane |last=Hamblin |volume=64 |issue=4 |date = January 26, 1968 |pages=60–64 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YEoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA60 |access-date=May 25, 2019 }}</ref> After his death she continued to live in Houston, where she worked as a court reporter.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|pp=74–75}} See's name is inscribed on the ''[[Fallen Astronaut]]'' plaque placed on the [[Moon]] by [[Apollo 15]] in 1971.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/there-is-a-sculpture-on-the-moon-commemorating-fallen-astronauts-358909/?no-ist |title=There Is a Sculpture on the Moon Commemorating Fallen Astronauts|date=January 7, 2013 |last1=Eveleth |first1=Rose |author-link=Rose Eveleth |magazine=Smithsonian.com |access-date=October 9, 2016}}</ref> He is also listed on the [[Space Mirror Memorial]] at the [[John F. Kennedy Space Center]] Visitor Complex, dedicated in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.astronautsmemorial.org/space-mirror-memorial.html|title=The Astronauts Memorial Foundation Space Mirror Memorial|access-date=October 9, 2016|website=The Astronauts Memorial Foundation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304131559/http://www.astronautsmemorial.org/space-mirror-memorial.html|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35559951/the_san_bernardino_county_sun/|title=15 Lost Astronauts Memorialized|newspaper=The San Bernardino County Sun|location=San Bernardino, California|date=May 10, 1991|page=14|via=Newspapers.com|last1=Dunn|first1=Marcia|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> He was honored by Highland Park High School in 2010 as one of the recipients of its Distinguished Alumni Award.<ref>{{cite web |title=Highland Park High School Distinguished Alumni List |access-date=May 7, 2012 |website=Highland Park High School Alumni Association |url=http://www.hpaa.org/distinguished_alumni.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606173138/http://www.hpaa.org/distinguished_alumni.html |archive-date=June 6, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> A conference room in Wiley Hall at the USMMA is also dedicated to his memory.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=USMMA Alumni Association and Foundation |title=Elliot M. See, Jr. '49 (posthumous) |url=https://www.usmmaalumni.com/s/1860/18/interior.aspx?sid=1860 |access-date=January 31, 2025}}</ref>

See was a member of the [[Society of Experimental Test Pilots]] (SETP) and an associate [[fellow]] of the [[American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics]] (AIAA).<ref name="NASA Bio" />

==In media==
See was played by [[Steve Zahn]] in the 1998 [[HBO]] [[miniseries]] ''[[From the Earth to the Moon (miniseries)|From the Earth to the Moon]]'', and by [[Patrick Fugit]] in the 2018 film ''[[First Man (film)|First Man]]''.

==See also==
*''[[Fallen Astronaut]]''
*[[List of Eagle Scouts]]
*[[List of spaceflight-related accidents and incidents]]
{{-}}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
{{Commons category}}
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |first1=Colin |last1=Burgess |author-link1=Colin Burgess (author) |first2=Kate |last2=Doolan |first3=Bert |last3=Vis |title=Fallen Astronauts: Heroes Who Died Reaching for the Moon |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |location=Lincoln, Nebraska |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-8032-6212-6 |lccn=2003042662 |oclc=51751432 |name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite book |last=Burgess |first=Colin|title=Moon Bound: Choosing and Preparing NASA's Lunar Astronauts |location=New York; London |publisher=Springer |year=2013 |series=Springer-Praxis Books in Space Exploration |isbn=978-1-4614-3854-0|oclc=905162781 }}
*{{cite book |last1=Hacker |first1=Barton C. |last2=Grimwood |first2=James M. |name-list-style=amp |title=On the Shoulders of Titans: A History of Project Gemini |url=http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4203.pdf |access-date=April 8, 2018 |series=NASA History Series |year=2010 |orig-year=1977 |publisher=NASA History Division, Office of Policy and Plans |location=Washington, D.C. |isbn=978-0-16-067157-9 |id=NASA SP-4203 |oclc=945144787 |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4203.pdf |url-status=dead }}
*{{cite book|last1=Koppel|first1=Lily|title=The Astronaut Wives Club|url=https://archive.org/details/astronautwivescl00lily|url-access=registration|year=2013|publisher=Grand Central Publishing|isbn=9781455503230|location=New York|oclc=817582773}}
*{{cite book|last=Reichl |first=Eugen |title=Project Gemini |publisher=Schiffer |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-7643-5070-2 |location=Atglen, Pennsylvania |oclc=1026725515 }}
*{{cite book|last1=Shayler|first1=David J.|year=2000|isbn=9781852332259|title=Disasters and Accidents in Manned Spaceflight|publisher=	Praxis/Springer|oclc=829405673|location=London}}
*{{cite book |title=Deke! U.S. Manned Space: From Mercury to the Shuttle |last1=Slayton |first1=Donald K. "Deke" |author-link1=Deke Slayton |last2=Cassutt |first2=Michael |name-list-style=amp |author-link2=Michael Cassutt |year=1994 |publisher=Forge Books (St. Martin's Press) |location=New York |isbn=0-312-85503-6 |oclc=29845663 |lccn=94-2463 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/dekeusmannedspac00slay }}
{{refend}}

{{NASA Astronaut Group 2}}
{{Gemini program}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:See, Elliot McKay}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:1966 deaths]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths in Missouri]]
[[Category:American test pilots]]
[[Category:Aviators from Texas]]
[[Category:Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States]]
[[Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery]]
[[Category:General Electric people]]
[[Category:American aerospace engineers]]
[[Category:Engineers from Texas]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Dallas]]
[[Category:Space program fatalities]]
[[Category:Highland Park High School (University Park, Texas) alumni]]
[[Category:United States Merchant Marine Academy alumni]]
[[Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni]]
[[Category:United States Naval Aviators]]
[[Category:University of Texas at Austin alumni]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1966]]
[[Category:NASA Astronaut Group 2]]
[[Category:NASA civilian astronauts]]