The first shift had taken out about half the bolts holding it to the fixture, and never documented it.
They also never told second shift what they'd been doing, out-of-sequence, so when second shift came in and went to tip it over (without checking the bolts!), it tore itself loose from the fixture, and wound up on the floor.
I was working for Boeing at the time, and we couldn't believe that they dropped the ball that badly on following WRITTEN procedures that had to be signed off at each step.
None of the people involved got more than a slap on the wrist because they were union.
However.......knowing Lockheed, these guys were on the top of everybody's hit list, and were probably transferred out to some department where they got the axe the next time layoffs came around!
5 Second Rule. Pick it and launch it into space. Then blame any failures on space being dangerous.
ReplyDeleteIt was 100% a union screw-up.
ReplyDeleteThe first shift had taken out about half the bolts holding it to the fixture, and never documented it.
They also never told second shift what they'd been doing, out-of-sequence, so when second shift came in and went to tip it over (without checking the bolts!), it tore itself loose from the fixture, and wound up on the floor.
That must've totally sucked!
DeleteYep, BIG time!
DeleteI was working for Boeing at the time, and we couldn't believe that they dropped the ball that badly on following WRITTEN procedures that had to be signed off at each step.
None of the people involved got more than a slap on the wrist because they were union.
So my taxes went up? ;-).
DeleteNo, but Lockheed Missiles and Space sure took a bath on it!
DeleteThey refunded all of their profit, and fixed it for free.
It cost something like $135 million to make it ready for launch.
I cant believe all that was handed out were wrist slaps. unreal.
DeleteYeah, me too.
DeleteHowever.......knowing Lockheed, these guys were on the top of everybody's hit list, and were probably transferred out to some department where they got the axe the next time layoffs came around!