In January 2003, during Columbia’s last flight, NASA engineer Rodney Rocha was worried about foam damage to the wing. At a meeting of the Mission Management Team, he did not raise his concern. He later told ABC News: “I just couldn’t do it.” The senior manager running the meeting, Linda Ham, “was way up here,” he said, raising his hand over his head, “and I was way down here.”
The Columbia Accident Investigation Board wrote: “All voices must be heard, which can be difficult when facing a hierarchy. An employee’s location in the hierarchy can encourage silence.”