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From: caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: An Everyday Lesson
Message-ID: <304@omen.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 2-Mar-86 18:13:09 EST
Article-I.D.: omen.304
Posted: Sun Mar  2 18:13:09 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 4-Mar-86 04:30:51 EST
References: <260@pyuxh.UUCP>
Reply-To: caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX)
Organization: Omen Technology, Portland
Lines: 22

In article <260@pyuxh.UUCP> sdd@pyuxh.UUCP (S Daniels) writes:
>
>My rhetorical question:  How often have we seen the correct technical or
>operational decision overturned by "higher management" because of the politics
>of the situation?  Fortunately, most of us don't work in places where the cost
>of doing that is measured in lives, billions of dollars, and national prestige.
>
Some years ago a DC-8 ran out of fuel and crashed somewhat short of the
runway, killing about a dozen.  The transcript showd the flight engineer
reminding the captain about the fuel situation, but the captain (preoccupied
with a landing gear problem) paid insufficient attention to those warnings.

As a result of that crash, the airline instituted a program of assertivness
training for the cockpit crew.

According to scuttlebutt I have heard, there is a feeling among some NASA
trrops that the higher-ups that "forced" the launch should be prosecuted
for involuntary manslaughter.

I have also heard concerns that had Challenger blown up on or near the
launch pad, many spectators would have been killed or wounded by the
blast.  Question: what degree of danger are the launch visitors in?