T+33 seconds: Catastrophic engine failure

Root Cause: Corroded aluminum B-nut on fuel line caused by salt spray exposure during pre-launch operations at Omelek Island

Failure Mode: The corroded nut failed under pressure, causing a fuel leak that ignited. Fire severed the main engine controller cable, leading to loss of thrust vector control

Impact: Vehicle lost attitude control and crashed into the Pacific Ocean approximately 250 feet from the launch pad

Aftermath: SpaceX had $100M remaining. Two more failures followed (2007, 2008) before the fourth attempt succeeded in September 2008, saving the company