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Description of Driving Event:

On December 8, 1995, a full-scale model of the NASA JSC Experimental Crew Return Vehicle (XCRV) experienced a failure of its parafoil deployment system during a test drop at the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) near Yuma, Arizona. The wingless 24-foot model impacted the ground without the parafoil deployed due to damage sustained when two lines entangled during deployment from a Colorado Air National Guard C-130 Aircraft at 15,000 feet mean sea level. The design of the test-unique model, platform restraint and separation system was neither reviewed by all parties affected by its integration nor well documented. As a result, opportunities to identify design problems were missed, and there was little opportunity to ensure conformance with the intended design in the vehicle configuration process.