Jun 15 2003
From The Space Library
The CAIB and members of the U.S. Congress reached an agreement giving selected members and staff of the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology access to confidential interviews that CAIB had conducted with 225 witnesses, including NASA managers and others involved with Columbia's mission. Because the most sensitive testimony about management decision making and engineering practices was contained in privileged statements, CAIB Chairperson Harold W. Gehman Jr. had resisted unfettered congressional access, fearing the potential effect on witnesses in future investigations of accidents if the CAIB were to release privileged testimony. Gehman had argued that privacy was critical to the Board's ability to elicit full, frank, and timely information, citing U.S. Supreme Court decisions supporting privileged interviewing, which was a common practice in military aircraft accident investigations. The agreement had granted committee members and a select list of staff access to the statements at the CAIB's office and~ in limited circumstances and under the supervision of a CAIB representative~ to those at congressional offices. The CAIB retained the right to refuse to make information from statements to the Board available to the public. In addition, the CAIB would keep a record of those who viewed the information. (Kathy Sawyer, “Congress To Review Shuttle Interviews,” Washington Post, 16 June 2003.
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