Space Shuttle thermal protection system
On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle "Columbia" was destroyed on reentry due to a failure of the TPS. The investigation team found and reported that the probable cause of the accident was that during launch, a piece of foam debris punctured an RCC panel on the left wing's leading edge and allowed hot gases from the reentry to enter the wing and disintegrate the wing from within, leading to eventual loss of control and breakup of the shuttle.
Shipwrecks of the inland Columbia River
The sternwheeler "Dalles City" sank on February 8, 1906, after striking a rock in the upper Columbia. Her crew said the steering gear had malfunctioned. "Madeline" hit a snag on the Cowlitz and sank on March 23, 1925. "Diamond O." struck a bridge at Vancouver, rolled over and sank on April 25, 1934.