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When I left the Program last July, along with most of the experienced Shuttle engineering base

ha ha ha. Like if there wasn't a "good" impact model before last July, if these guys had stayed on six more months there would have been. Come on -- this is classic blamethrowing. There is no correlation between the accident and the engineering relocation mentioned. It is all rant and no substance.

The impact model was developed many years ago and run (and refined) several hundred times over the life of the shuttle program.

Unfortunately, the experience of the individuals who developed the model and had run the model over and over was lost in the transition to Houston. These models are not just "plug some numbers in the front end and get an answer out the back end", they require substantial engineering analysis along the way to ensure a valid result. The "old" engineers used the exact same model that the "new" engineers used - with vastly different results.

To say there is no correlation between the relocation and the accident is speculative and I will admit that my assertion that there is at least some correlation is also speculative. However, unless the Accident Investigation Board takes a look at the facts of the matter, all we will have to go on is speculation - the AIB is staying away from this issue like it's the Third Rail.