This was the launch attempt of the 2009 AIAA Young Professional LA Section (Team 2) rocket. The rocket was an 8-foot tall "Quasar" model using a K700 engine (700N avg thrust, 2400s impulse). The rocket exploded directly overhead and a large field of debris soon fell over the crowd. The largest remaining piece -- a 3 foot long body section -- landed 2 feet from a participant's car. And the payload landed directly on top of the bunker we were in. Our team determined that the failure mode was fin flutter at high speeds, resulting in the shearing off of several fins and loss of control near burnout. Several other teams shared a similar fate.