Exposed wiring caused the most expensive unmanned accident in Cape

Canaveral's history when a Titan IVA rocket carrying a highly classified

Mercury signals intelligence satellite exploded Aug. 12.

The launcher was plagued by poor assembly. Investigators noted that the

rocket had "44 wiring defects with shorting potential, the highest defect

rate of all Titan IVA launch vehicles." Those and other problems

resulted in rework after the Titan was assembled which, program officials

said, increases the risk of additional faults going undetected.

At least one exposed wire was not detected in prelaunch inspections and

tests, which eventually led to the explosion, the accident investigation

board headed by Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert C. Hinson concluded. The

wiring fault was in the Titan's second stage, but investigators were

unable to conclusively pinpoint the location and cause of the exposed wiring.

Interviews conducted by the Air Force during the accident investigation

revealed concerns among some officals about the quality of the work

conducted by the vehicle's manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. "Quality of

assembly and vehicle processing at [Lockheed Martin Astronautics} in

Denver is a problem," one Air Force official told investigators. The

Accident Board said that it had concerns about the "quality of

workmanship" even though the instances of improperly installed wiring

represent only a fraction of the wiring used on Titans. It noted,

One possible cause for the exposed wiring is the Titan's design, which

makes installing and maintaining wiring harnesses difficult, investigators said.

After the Titan IVA incident, inspections were made of a Titan II and

several of the new Titan IVBs. Those detailed inspections found assembly

problems in a number of cases. "Several instances of damaged wires were

discovered, which included 'open' wires, damaged insulation, and exposed

conductor wire," investigators reported. Historically, the Titan program documented more than

1,000 instances of wiring damage of which 113 were related to the vehicle's primary power wiring.

Ten of those flaws weren't discovered until the Titans were at the launch site.

Titan IIs and Titan IVBs remain grounded until all "return-to-flight" criteria

have been met. This includes any process and documentation changes that may

be required. The Air Force wouldn't say when it expects the grounding to be lifted.

The rocket launched Aug. 12 was the last of the Titan IVAs. Investigators

concluded the National Reconnaissance Office payload in no way caused the

othan $1 billion accident.

The sequence of events that destroyed the Titan - 45.529 sec. after

launch - began about 39.416 sec. into the flight. A series of electrical

shorts - at least 30, ranging from 1 to 20 millisec. - caused

fluctuations in the vehicle power supply and loss of power to the missile

guidance computer. As a result, the guidance computer stopped sending time

reference signals to the inertial measurement unit. When the

guidance computer started functioning again, it led to incorrect attitude

references because of drift in pitch and yaw references.

The Titan corrected for the perceived error in attitude and entered a

full pitch-down and yaw right. The stresses that maneuver put on the

rocket exceeded design specifications, causing the north booster to

separate from the core vehicle. It was immediately destroyed by the

rocket's inadvertent separation destruct system mechanism. Moments

later, the second booster was destroyed by its destruct system. A few

seconds later, the mission flight control officer sent destruct signals

to the core vehicle.

A detailed vibration test was conducted to determine if the insulation

was tested during this investigation, and its durability and life proved

to be adequate for the Titan IV application, if properly protected. No

investigators to the fact that the wiring problem had to have been pre-existing

and could not have developed during the few seconds after launch.

"Abrasion against the vehicle structure for less than 40 sec. would not

create a shorting condition in the wiring," the report said.

Investigarors also highlighted some general Titan IV characteristics that

should be addressed. For one, it noted that the system has little

tolerance for power interruptions. Other issues of concern included the

installation of certain wiring covers that can only be verifed by

technicians' "feel" and the fact that the gas plug in Stage 2 can damage critical circuits.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Does this sound like "CHANGING THE SOFTWARE" is going to correct the problem?

I DON'T THINK SO! Here is the copy I sent initially to your Mr. Cole:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subj: Boeing News Reports 'Managed News?'

Date: 01/23/99

To: Boeingnews@boeing.com

Attention: Bill Cole  (Aircraft and Missiles Editor)

BOEING NEWS

I would like my answer to this problem to go on your OPINION PAGE.

I must challenge the Boeing News accuracy in reporting in your article "Delta III

team on track for return-to-flight this quarter" in the January 15th issue of

Boeing News. I want to know, if you were given incorrect information by

program personnel, or are you managing the news, as to what actually happened

to cause the rocket to explode. I copy you with the results as reported by

Steven Young of Reuters News Service. I will be in the process of exchanging

information with him, as to how the incident was reported in the Boeing News.

Either again we have received unfavorable press in the news media, or Boeing

employees have been given MANAGED news. The issue of defective wiring is in

the news as having been responsible for airplane crashes and incidents.

SwissAir 111 is NOT the only casualty caused by defective or faulty wiring.

You can check my web site regarding aircraft wiring.

Sean Griffin, who was a reporter working for 'The Tacoma NewsTribune' who told

Young that he was going to write a series of articles on A/C wiring and wanted

Boeing's input also. I saw the FAX that was sent back to Sean Griffin where

I'm in contact with a few news services, TV media networks and the story about

Kapton and Raychem A/C wiring is getting out. In recent months, 20/20 TV

reported on Kapton wiring and DATELINE NBC has a program taped and ready to

air very shortly. Depending on your reply, I will determine if it will be given

to various news services.

I hope for your sake, that the Boeing employees were given 'bad' project

information.' If this is the case, I expect to see the truth printed to

correct this faulty information. If the information is correct as you

reported, then I will expect, Steven Young of Reuters, to print a retraction

but in either case, the truth has to be reported.

signed

Patrick A. Price (36+ years Boeing employee---Retired)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"The Delta III return-to-flight team is looking at the rocket in new ways.

After the investigation team pinned the cause of the Aug. 12 failure on the

control system reacting to a rocking motion, they identified the corrective

action as a direct change to the systems software. The software essentially

will ignore the rocking motion on future flights. The return-to-flight team

then went the next step: applying the lessons learned to the entire vehicle

and its subsystems. Using the information gained from the first minute of

flight, they applied it to the remaining 35 minutes of the flight profile.

"One thing we learned from integrating Delta 259 was that we needed to

redesign a WIRE-HARNESS connector between the solid motors and the core

vehicle," said Dan Collins, Delt III return-to-flight program lead.. . . ."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------

Copyright © 1999 Nando Media

Copyright © 1999 Reuters News Service

By STEVEN YOUNG

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (January 15, 1999 8:29 p.m. EST

http://www.nandotimes.com) - Frayed electrical wiring caused last year's $1

billion explosion of a Titan 4 rocket that carried a spy satellite, the U.S.

Air Force said Friday.

The powerful rocket and its top-secret cargo blew apart in the skies above

A U.S. Air Force Space Command accident investigation board said the damaged

wiring caused a short circuit that left the rocket's guidance systems without

power for a fraction of a second. The 20-story booster lost its sense of

direction, tipped over and exploded in a shower of rocket fuel just 41 seconds

after launch. At the time, the Titan 4 was traveling close to the speed of

sound at an altitude of 17,000 feet.

catastrophically fail," the Space Command said in a statement. "The board

For the first time, the Air Force confirmed that the mishap cost more than $1

billion. It said the Air Force and Lockheed Martin , the rocket's builder,

have "taken actions to address the findings of the investigation."

Two Titan 4B rockets, a newer version than the 4A model that exploded,

currently are being prepared for launch from Cape Canaveral, although the Air

Force has yet to set any launch dates.

"We are proceeding with preparations, but are awaiting final approval to

launch," an Air Force spokesman at Cape Canaveral said.

The spy satellite destroyed in August's explosion was being launched for the

U.S. National Reconnaissance Office and, according to space experts, was to

have listened in on foreign government and military communications in global hot spots.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

From: PAPCECST@aol.com

To: sai@cybercenter.cl, devans@phillips.com, sampson@iinet.net.au

Jim et al,

I was aware of this disaster because I read about it first in the Boeing News

(employee newspaper), and then the article written by Steven Young of Reuters.

I sent an e-mail to the Editor for missles (Boeing News) and his boss, the

editor of the newspaper. I'm sending you a copy of my e-mail. The Boeings

news reported it as 'rocking action of the missle,' that caused the explosion

and that a change in the SOFTWARE would correct the fault for future launches.

Even Boeing doesn't want their employees to know about defective wire. I have

received NO ANSWER from the Boeing News. Someone should print this as a bit

of news that it is a case of 'MANAGED NEWS' only - for Boeing employees.

Patrick

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Attention: Bill Cole

Aircraft and Missiles editor

BOEING NEWS

I must challenge the Boeing News accuracy in reporting your article "Delta III

team on track for return-to-flight this quarter" in the January 15th issue of

Boeing News. I want to know, if you were given incorrect information by

program personnel, or are you managing the news, as to what actually happened

to cause the rocket to explode. I copy you with the results as reported by

Steven Young of Reuters News Service. I will be in the process of exchanging

information with him, as to how the incident was reported in the Boeing News.

Either again we have received unfavourable press in the news media, or Boeing

employees have been given MANAGED news. The issue of defective wiring is in

the news as having been responsible for airplane crashes and incidents.

SwissAir 111 is NOT the only casualty caused by defective or faulty wiring.

You can check my web-site regarding aircraft wiring.

http://members.aol.com/papcecst/ and how Boeing has attempted to muzzle my

story concerning aircraft wire. I'm in contact with many news services, TV

media networks and the story about Kapton and Raychem A/C wiring is getting

out. In recent months, 20/20 TV reported on Kapton wiring and DATELINE NBC

has a program taped and ready to air very shortly. Depending on your reply,

will determine if it will be given to various news services.

I hope for your sake, that the Boeing employees were given 'bad' project

information. 'If this is the case, I expect to see the truth printed to

correct this faulty information. If the information is correct as you

reported, then I will expect, Steven Young of Reuters, to print a retraction -

but in either case, the truth has to be reported.

Patrick A. Price 36+ years employee---Retired

----------------------------------------------------------------------

This is how the $1 billion explosion was reported in the 'Boeing News'

published on January 15, 1999.

"Flight data, 'fresh eyes' used to help revalidate the rocket"

"The Delta III return-to-flight team is looking at the rocket in new ways.

After the investigation team pinned the cause of the Aug. 26 failure on the

control system reacting to a rocking motion, they identified the corrective

action as a direct change to the systems software. The software essentially

will ignore the rocking motion on future flights. The return-to-flight team

then went the next step: applying the lessons learned to the entire vehicle

and its subsystems. Using the information gained from the first minute of

flight, they applied it to the remaining 35 minutes of the flight profile.

"One thing we learned from integrating Delta 259 was that we needed to

redesign a WIRE-HARNESS connector between the solid motors and the core

vehicle," said Dan Collins, Delt III return-to-flight program lead.. . . ."

Copyright © 1999 Reuters News Service

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (January 15, 1999 8:29 p.m. EST

http://www.nandotimes.com ) - Frayed electrical wiring caused last year's $1

billion explosion of a Titan 4 rocket that carried a spy satellite, the U.S. Air Force said Friday.

The powerful rocket and its top-secret cargo blew apart in the skies above

Cape Canaveral on Aug. 12, 1998, in one of the most expensive space disasters in history.

A U.S. Air Force Space Command accident investigation board said the damaged

wiring caused a short circuit that left the rocket's guidance systems without

power for a fraction of a second. The 20-story booster lost its sense of

direction, tipped over and exploded in a shower of rocket fuel just 41 seconds

after launch. At the time, the Titan 4 was traveling close to the speed of

sound at an altitude of 17,000 feet.

"Electrical shorts in the ... wiring harness most likely caused the vehicle to

catastrophically fail," the Space Command said in a statement. "The board

found clear and convincing evidence that wire insulation damage existed."

For the first time, the Air Force confirmed that the mishap cost more than $1

billion. It said the Air Force and Lockheed Martin , the rocket's builder,

have "taken actions to address the findings of the investigation."

Two Titan 4B rockets, a newer version than the 4A model that exploded,

currently are being prepared for launch from Cape Canaveral, although the Air

Force has yet to set any launch dates.

"We are proceeding with preparations, but are awaiting final approval to

launch," an Air Force spokesman at Cape Canaveral said.

The spy satellite destroyed in August's explosion was being launched for the

U.S. National Reconnaissance Office and, according to space experts, was to