The Apollo 1 fire

Gus Grissom was blunt about the spacecraft’s flaws. Thomas Baron, a quality inspector who wrote a long report on sloppy work at North American Aviation, died with his family in a crash at a railroad crossing about a week after his charges were aired before a House subcommittee. North American rejected most of his report, though some company officials later told Congress that about half of his charges were well-grounded. [1]

Grissom’s widow Betty sued the contractor and won a settlement, against the wishes of some at NASA. [2] In 1999 their son Scott said he had found a metal piece that could have been used to short a circuit on purpose. [3]

Put together, the theory runs: a critic of a rushed program died, a whistleblower died, and the family itself suspected foul play.

The review board found that the cabin was filled with 100 percent oxygen at 16.7 pounds per square inch, above sea-level pressure, with many flammable materials nearby. It called those conditions “extremely hazardous.” The most probable cause was an electrical arc in wiring near the floor. It found “no evidence” of sabotage. [1]

The hatch opened inward and could not be opened quickly against the rising pressure. NASA redesigned the hatch, changed the launch-pad atmosphere and removed flammable materials before flying again. [2][3]

In 2000, at Rep. James Sensenbrenner’s request, NASA examined Scott Grissom’s metal piece. Engineers concluded it had been cut from a bracket in the main display console after the fire. [4]