The boost phase, powered by the first use of a BlackSky Research Pro38 I240 was flawless and spectacular. This was the rockets 6th flight, and first flight on this particular motor. The rocket leaped off of the launch pad at the moment of ignition, coasting into what seemed to be a normal flight. At apogee (the apex of flight), the Adpet ALTS25 Altimeter seperated the rocket where the fin can meets the airframe tubing. During pre-flight check, the altimeter was functioning within normal parameters beeping out it's four beeps. The altimeter was silent after flight in the wreckage. I did not choose to utilize the typical drouge parachute on this flight, a move I would have regretted. The rocket began it's descent back to the soft cow pasture as normal as could be. The lack of the drouge caused the rocket to accelerate more and more, to a point where the airframe and nosecone were pointing straight down, fin can falling besides them. Six hundred feet came and went, with no parachute deployment.

The fin can landed in the earth forward end first, resulting in two .5" plywood centering rings to be dislodged and the primary coupler being crushed, bent, squished, and ripped apart [see photo later]. The airframe/NC assembly (which had never seperated) landed laterally on the ground, causing the two airframe pieces of cant inwards, placing tremendous pressure onto the phenolic coupler/electronics bay, causing it to be destroyed. Also suffering damage was the forward most area of tube right below the nosecone. The damaged incurred here resembles that of a zipper, but it can not possible be a zipper as the parachute did not come out. The nosecone, parachute, and recovery strap were however laying on the ground at the landing site. One possible scenario is that the recovery assembly was flung out at landing, causing the zipper-esque damage. This seems unlikely as the force of that doesn't seem to be strong enough to obliterate three layers of fiberglass on top of phenolic tubing. The pattern of damage [see photo] seems to go along with another theory, one that suggests that all damage was due solely to landing.

In conclusion, the failure of an Adept ALTS25 Altimeter caused the catastrophic damage and flight of The Big Black and White Beauty. This is a problem that in my mind could not have been prevented. If it didn't get me this time, it would have next launch. The repair supplies have been ordered, and the beauty will fly once again to new altitudes.

Wreckage Photographs:

• fincan1.jpg - This is a detail of the damage to the forward area of the fin can.
• fincan2.jpg - Shows detail of damage similar to the above, but from a different angle.
• fincan2.jpg - Again, damage to fin can, from different angle.
• zipper.jpg - Damage sustained by the forward airframe, below nosecone.
• zipper2.jpg - Different view to damage.
• ebaytop.jpg - Electronics bay destruction.
• fullebay.jpg - Full view of ebay after flight.
• ring.jpg - This is the forward most centering ring on the rocket. I wrote this message on it when I was repairing it from a crash last year. The date reads 9-14-99, written on the underside of the ring. Needless to say, if you're reading that, it can't be good.
• repair1.jpg - Repairs have been started. I first started off my removing all centering rings from the motor mount tube. I plan on stacking the tube w/ coupler centering rings and puting a coupler on that way, somehow reinforcing it at the base. I will top the coupler off with a bulkhead and an eyebolt.

• Two Coupler Centering Rings, 54mm/3.9" coupler, .5" diameter
  • For the fin can assembly
• Two Couplers
  • One for fin can, another for electronics bay
• Coupler bulkhead, .5" diameter
  • for the fin can coupler
• Two coupler bulkheads, normal diameter
  • for the electronics bay
• Full Length 3.9" Airframe

Comments? Input? Email me at adam@adama.am.