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Description of Driving Event:

Safety Mishap on the KC-135. An experiment rig that is flown on the KC-135 utilized a quickrelease V-band to seal a pressurized chamber. The chamber was used to conduct combustion experiments during the KC-135 flight. The v-band was implemented in order to permit quick and easy access to the chamber interior in order to change samples and access interior components and instrumentation. During the KC-135, the V-band was released when the chamber was still pressurized. Once the V-band was released, the chamber lid was propelled off the chamber and across the plane's cabin area. The lid just missed one of the experiment operators and caused damage to one of the plane's interior lights. The experiment operation procedures had steps to identify relief of pressure, but those were skipped, and the V-band and chamber lid design contain no other lid retention element.