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From: rt@cpsc53.UUCP (Ron Thompson)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: An Everyday Lesson
Message-ID: <100140@cpsc53.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 5-Mar-86 21:42:02 EST
Article-I.D.: cpsc53.100140
Posted: Wed Mar  5 21:42:02 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 7-Mar-86 07:21:38 EST
References: <260@pyuxh.UUCP>
Organization: ATT-IS CPSC, Atlanta, GA
Lines: 23

> 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.
A good question. Tonight's newspaper pointed out two rather well known
instances where this occured.

(1) The Ford Pinto problems involving the faulty fuel tank design which
    led to untold numbers of fiery deaths due to rear end collisions.

(2) The problem with the baggage door design on the DC-10 which resulted
    in the crash of the Turkish airliner near Paris and the loss of over
    360 people's lives.

It has been established in both of these cases that engineers had made
formal written identification of these problems before any were experienced.
Sadly, as in the case of our Challenger, good technical judgement based on
many dollars of training and years of experience was electively ignored by
people with 'higher goals' than the safety of human life.
-- 
  Ron Thompson		AT&T Information Systems	Customer Programming  
  (404) 982-4217        Atlanta, Georgia		Services Center	      
  ..{ihnp4,akgua}!cpsc53!rt             (Opinions expressed are mine alone.)