Jim Cast

Headquarters, Washington, DC January 7, 1997

(Phone: 202/358-1779)

Dom Amatore
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL
(Phone: 205/544-0031)

Release: 97-3

CLIPPER GRAHAM INCIDENT REPORT RELEASED

An unconnected hose led to the destruction of the Clipper

Graham technology demonstrator last summer. The Clipper Graham
(DC-XA) Incident Investigation Board has released its final
report concerning the July 31 post-landing tip-over and fire
which destroyed the 43-foot vertical takeoff and landing
vehicle at White Sands Missile
Range, NM.

The Board, Chaired by former Astronaut Vance Brand,

concluded "The primary cause of the vehicle mishap was that the
brake line on the helium pneumatic system for landing gear #2
was not connected. This unconnected brake line prevented the
brake mechanism from being pressurized to release the brake and
resulted in landing gear #2 not extending. The vehicle became
unstable upon landing, toppled onto its side, exploded and
burned."

The July 31 flight demonstration was the fourth in last

summer's series of tests with Clipper Graham by NASA and its
industry partner, McDonnell Douglas. The vehicle flew the
planned flight profile successfully and uneventfully until
landing. With landing gear #2 failing to deploy -- there were
four landing gears on Clipper Graham -- the vehicle tipped over
and, according to the report, "The Clipper Graham DC-XA vehicle
was totally destroyed by ground impact and ensuing explosions
and fires."

Contributing causes of the mishap were identified as

follows:

o Design of the system for gear stowage required McDonnell

Douglas technicians to break the integrity of the helium brake
line after integrity had been already verified. No other check
was conducted to re-verify the integrity of the system after
disconnection and reconnection of the line was completed;

o Landing gear stowage was never identified as a critical

process. No special steps were taken to ensure the readiness
of this system for flight;

o During the gear stowage process, there was no record of

checking off steps or evidence of cross-checking;

o Distraction or interruption of the mechanical technician

during gear stowage operations may have contributed to the non-
connection of the brake line.

Gary E. Payton, NASA's Director of Space Transportation,

commended the Board's thorough review of the incident. "Even
though the Clipper Graham Program itself is now behind us, the
technology demonstrations from last summer's four flights were
outstanding. ÔLessons learned' from the Board's report, and
the observations and recommendations made will play an
important role in the Agency's continuing Reusable Launch
Vehicle activities. In the X-33 and X-34 programs, for
example, cost reduction and efficient reusability will continue
to be our major objectives, along with safety and reliability
that the proper mix of automation and human control can
deliver."

The five member Board consisted of Chairman Vance Brand,

Dryden Flight Research Center, CA; George Hopson, Marshall
Space Flight Center, AL; Charles E. Harris, Langley Research
Center, VA; Lt. Col. David Sharp, USAF Safety Center, NM; and
Warren Wiley, Kennedy Space Center, FL.

- end -

NOTE TO EDITORS: The Report's two page Executive Summary plus

a three page section dealing with Causes, Findings,
Observations and Recommendations are available, electronically,
via the Internet at URL:

ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/statrpt/msfc/cgistatus/cg.txt

The full 160 page report, with appendices, is available for

review in the NASA Headquarters and Marshall Space Flight
Center newsrooms.