posted 03-05-2016 08:28 PM               

Space Cover #358: Bassett and See

Fifty years ago last week, February 28, 1966, tragedy struck the prime crew for Gemini 9 when their T-38 aircraft impacted the very building that held their spacecraft. It was a heavily overcast, rainy day when Charles Bassett and Elliott See approached Lambert Field in St. Louis, MO. They broke out of the clouds, realized they were too low, hit their afterburners, and turned directly into McDonnell Aircraft Building 101, where their Gemini 9 capsule was being finished out. Both were killed on impact.

George Goldey had covers postmarked that day in his hometown of Canton, TX (above). He later added the cachet describing the event, unfortunately with a wrong first name for Bassett.

This is the only cover I've ever seen for Bassett and See. Anyone else have a different one? Let's post them! And as always, I'll be glad to host your cover image — just email it to me.

This event has special significance to me. As a typical young space fiend of the 1960s, I was well aware of the crash. Then I went to work for McDonnell-Douglas in St. Louis in 1980. Adjacent to my building was Building 101. One of the older engineers showed me around Building 101 where they were building the AV-8B Harrier at the time. At one place he pointed upwards and showed me the spot where Bassett and See had hit the roof – one could see replacement joist materials and roof materials of a slightly different shade than the rest. Needless to say, a very sad moment...

posted 03-06-2016 05:18 PM               

My second Goldey cover departs from this format showing a NASA emblem and the U.S. Capitol building in the cachet, and noting Charles Bassett (spelled correctly) and Elliot See laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. The cover is cancelled March 4, 1966, in Washington, D.C. where Arlington Cemetery is located.

In an earlier book I wrote the following concerning the deaths of See and Bassett as they crashed into the building.

Hitting the roof of McDonnell Building 101, astronauts See and Bassett are killed as their aircraft crashes near the building where their spacecraft is being put through its final tests. A few minutes later, Stafford and Cernan execute a flawless instrument landing at the airfield.

posted 03-07-2016 04:06 PM               

The original GT-9 crew signed cover (not inscribed) was recently put on the auction block by RR last year.

I don't know if there are any other See-Bassett signed "crew" covers out there, but this was the only one that I had seen during a lifetime of collecting.