Adding fuel to the fire: NASA’s crisis communications regarding Apollo 1

In January 1967, NASA faced its first major crisis when a flash fire killed the three-man crew of Apollo 1 during a routine, preflight test. Unprepared for a fire on the ground and desperate to manage its image, the space agency responded poorly to the crisis: it waited 2 h to report the deaths; it communicated inaccurate, contradictory, and purposefully misleading information to Congress and the media; it lied, and refused to release information, to congressional committees investigating the fire; and it stacked the official board investigating the fire with its own personnel and people who had close ties to the agency. NASA’s poor crisis communications exacerbated the tragedy, tarnishing its image, hurting its credibility, and prolonging the crisis. This study provides an example of an unsuccessful response to a crisis and demonstrates how much damage can occur when an organization fails to communicate openly and honestly.James Kauffman is an associate professor of communication studies at Indiana University Southeast.