Incident: Fireworks Show Disaster: Technical Glitch Ignites All Pyrotechnics Prematurely

Published Date: 2012-07-06

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident happened on July 4, 2012. [13144]
System The software failure incident in the article was caused by a technical glitch that ignited all of San Diego's pyrotechnics at the same time during the Big Bay Boom fireworks display. The specific system that failed in this incident was: 1. Timing signal system sent to the four barges triggering a simultaneous detonation of all fireworks on three of them [13144].
Responsible Organization 1. Garden State Fireworks was responsible for causing the software failure incident as they mentioned a technical problem caused the mishap and are still trying to figure out the exact cause of the malfunction [13144].
Impacted Organization 1. San Diego residents who were expecting to enjoy the Big Bay Boom fireworks show were impacted by the software failure incident [13144].
Software Causes 1. The software failure incident during the Big Bay Boom fireworks display in San Diego was caused by a technical glitch that triggered a simultaneous detonation of all the fireworks on three of the four barges in the harbor [13144].
Non-software Causes 1. A technical malfunction triggered a simultaneous detonation of all fireworks on three barges in the San Diego Bay [13144]. 2. A timing signal sent to the four barges in the harbor somehow caused the mishap [13144]. 3. The company responsible for the fireworks display, Garden State Fireworks, mentioned a technical problem as the cause of the malfunction [13144].
Impacts 1. The software failure incident resulted in the premature detonation of all the fireworks from three barges in the San Diego Bay, causing a massive explosion and ending the fireworks display in just seconds, disappointing tens of thousands of spectators [13144]. 2. The incident led to a significant financial loss, as the fireworks show cost about $400,000 to put on, and the entire display was over in a matter of seconds due to the technical glitch [13144]. 3. Spectators who had been waiting for hours, including families who had made the fireworks show their Fourth of July plan, were left disappointed and frustrated by the abrupt end of the display [13144]. 4. The software failure incident caused anger and frustration among San Diego residents, with some demanding refunds and expressing their disappointment on social media platforms like Twitter [13144]. 5. The reputation of the fireworks company, Garden State Fireworks, was impacted as they had to deal with the aftermath of the malfunction and were still investigating the cause of the glitch [13144].
Preventions 1. Implement thorough testing procedures: Conducting rigorous testing of the software and its components could have potentially uncovered any issues or bugs that led to the simultaneous detonation of fireworks [13144]. 2. Enhance redundancy and fail-safe mechanisms: Building redundancy and fail-safe mechanisms into the software system controlling the fireworks display could have mitigated the risk of a single point of failure causing such a catastrophic incident [13144]. 3. Conduct regular maintenance and inspections: Regular maintenance and inspections of the software system controlling the fireworks display could have helped identify and address any potential issues before they led to a failure during the event [13144].
Fixes 1. Implement thorough testing procedures: The software failure incident could be fixed by implementing more rigorous testing procedures to identify and address any potential technical malfunctions before the event [13144]. 2. Conduct a detailed root cause analysis: Performing a detailed root cause analysis to understand what caused the timing signal to trigger a simultaneous detonation of all the fireworks could help prevent similar incidents in the future [13144]. 3. Enhance monitoring and control systems: Improving monitoring and control systems to ensure that signals are sent correctly and independently to each barge, preventing a simultaneous detonation of fireworks [13144].
References 1. Spectator accounts at the event, such as Michael Freeby and Michael McCarthy [13144] 2. Tweets from attendees and residents of San Diego [13144] 3. Statements from Garden State Fireworks, the company responsible for the fireworks display [13144] 4. Reports from news outlets like the San Diego Union-Tribune and the Los Angeles Times [13144]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring unknown <Article 13144> does not provide any information about a software failure incident happening again at one_organization or multiple_organization. Therefore, the answer to this question is 'unknown'.
Phase (Design/Operation) operation The software failure incident in the article does not directly relate to a failure in the development phases such as design or operation. The incident described in the article pertains to a technical malfunction during a fireworks display in San Diego, leading to all the fireworks igniting at the same time. Therefore, the specific details related to a software failure in the development or operation phases are not mentioned in the article.
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system The software failure incident related to the fireworks display in San Diego can be categorized as a within_system failure. The incident was attributed to a technical malfunction that caused a timing signal to trigger a simultaneous detonation of all the fireworks on three of the four barges in the harbor [13144]. This malfunction originated from within the system, specifically from the timing signal sent to the barges by the company responsible for the fireworks display.
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in this case was not directly attributed to non-human actions. The incident was described as a technical malfunction that caused all the fireworks from three barges in the San Diego Bay to explode at the same time [13144]. (b) The software failure incident was attributed to human actions. Garden State Fireworks, the company responsible for the fireworks display, mentioned that a timing signal sent to the four barges in the harbor somehow triggered a simultaneous detonation of all the fireworks on three of them. The company is still investigating to determine the exact cause of the malfunction [13144].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident in the article was not attributed to hardware issues. The incident was specifically mentioned to be a result of a technical malfunction that caused a timing signal to trigger a simultaneous detonation of fireworks on three barges in San Diego Bay. The company responsible for the fireworks display, Garden State Fireworks, stated that a timing signal sent to the four barges somehow led to the mishap, indicating a software-related issue rather than a hardware one [13144].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident in this case was non-malicious. The incident was attributed to a technical malfunction that caused a timing signal to trigger a simultaneous detonation of all the fireworks on three barges in San Diego Bay [13144]. The company responsible for the fireworks display, Garden State Fireworks, mentioned that they were still investigating to determine the exact cause of the malfunction, indicating that it was not a deliberate act of sabotage or malicious intent [13144].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown The software failure incident related to the San Diego fireworks display, as reported in Article 13144, was not directly related to software. The incident was attributed to a technical malfunction that caused a timing signal to trigger a simultaneous detonation of all the fireworks on three barges, leading to the premature ignition of the fireworks display. Therefore, the incident does not fall under the categories of poor_decisions or accidental_decisions related to software failures.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental The software failure incident related to the San Diego fireworks display was not directly attributed to a software failure. The incident was caused by a technical malfunction that triggered a simultaneous detonation of all the fireworks on three barges in the harbor. The company responsible for the fireworks display, Garden State Fireworks, mentioned that a timing signal sent to the barges somehow caused the mishap. They are still investigating to determine the exact cause of the malfunction [13144]. Therefore, there is no specific information in the articles to suggest that the failure was due to development incompetence or accidental factors.
Duration temporary The software failure incident related to the fireworks display in San Diego was temporary. The incident occurred due to a technical malfunction that caused a timing signal to trigger a simultaneous detonation of all the fireworks on three of the four barges in the harbor [13144]. The malfunction was not a permanent issue but rather a specific circumstance that led to the failure of the fireworks display.
Behaviour crash, omission, timing, value, other (a) crash: The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a crash. The incident led to a catastrophic failure where all the fireworks from three barges in the San Diego Bay exploded at the same time, resulting in a premature end to the fireworks display [13144]. (b) omission: The software failure incident can also be linked to omission. The system omitted to perform its intended function of launching the fireworks in a synchronized and timed manner, leading to all the pyrotechnics firing at once instead of a planned sequential display [13144]. (c) timing: The timing aspect is evident in the software failure incident. The system failed to time the launch of the fireworks correctly, causing them to ignite simultaneously instead of in a choreographed display as intended [13144]. (d) value: The software failure incident can be associated with a failure in value. The system performed its intended function of igniting the fireworks, but it did so incorrectly by setting off all the fireworks at the same time, depriving the audience of the expected entertainment value [13144]. (e) byzantine: There is no indication of the software failure incident exhibiting a byzantine behavior in the articles. (f) other: The software failure incident can be categorized under the "other" behavior as it resulted in a massive explosion of fireworks due to a technical glitch, causing disappointment among spectators and leading to a short-lived and unexpected end to the fireworks show [13144].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property The consequence of the software failure incident described in the article is as follows: (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure - The software failure incident resulted in a significant financial impact as approximately $400,000 worth of fireworks were ignited all at once due to a technical glitch, leading to a shortened and disappointing fireworks display [13144].
Domain entertainment The software failure incident reported in the news article [13144] was related to the entertainment industry. The incident involved a technical glitch that caused a malfunction during the Big Bay Boom fireworks display in San Diego, California. The fireworks show, which was a significant annual event drawing visitors from far and wide, experienced a failure where all the fireworks from three barges exploded at the same time due to a timing signal issue sent to the barges triggering a simultaneous detonation [13144]. This incident falls under the entertainment industry category.

Sources

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