Jim Cast
Headquarters, Washington, DC                August 5, 1996
(Phone:  202/358-1779)

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


RELEASE:  96-158

CLIPPER GRAHAM INCIDENT INVESTIGATION BOARD CONVENES

     A five-member board, chaired by former astronaut Vance 
Brand, is convening this week at the White Sands Missile 
Range, NM, to investigate last week's 
post-landing incident involving the Clipper Graham (DC-XA) 
rocket.

     Brand presently is Assistant Chief of Flight Operations 
Directorate and Chief of Shuttle and Flight Support Office at 
NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA. Other 
members of the board are: George Hopson, Marshall Space 
Flight Center, Huntsville,  AL;  Charles E. Harris, Langley 
Research Center, Hampton, VA; Lt. Col. David Sharp, USAF 
Safety Center, NM;  and Warren Wiley, Kennedy Space Center, 
FL.  
 
    Progess of the board's investigation will be released as 
events warrant.  The board anticipates submitting a final 
report in approximately two months.

     On July 31, Clipper Graham successfully flew a two-
minute, 20-second flight 
profile -- the fourth in the current series -- but tipped 
over and caught fire
when one of four landing gears failed to deploy.


                         - end -

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