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For Immediate Release
CAIB PA 24-03

Date: April 24, 2003
Contact: Lt. Col Woody Woodyard, 281-283-7520 or 713-301-2244
Contact: Terry N. Williams or Patricia Brach, 281-283-7565


COLUMBIA ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BOARD FOCUSES EFFORTS

Houston, Texas - At a meeting today with the NASA Accident
Investigation Team (NAIT), the Columbia Accident Investigation Board
(CAIB) received evidence supporting multiple scenarios in an ongoing
effort to develop a CAIB agreed working scenario. This process will
continue. 

The CAIB determined that in order to finalize a primary working
scenario, more work is required in four areas of analysis.

Those four areas are: aerothermal analysis, foam impact testing,
testing of flown reinforced carbon carbon panels, and metallurgical
analysis from debris.

The NAIT provided an overview of the latest data recorder information
and the CAIB issued its guidance based on that data and board
investigators' continuing analysis of the latest orbiter debris.

The CAIB has not reached any final conclusions and has not determined
the cause of the loss of the shuttle and crew.

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