13 Times Human Error Had Gigantic Consequences
![13 Times Human Error Had Gigantic Consequences](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/0/9/894609_320x180.jpg)
Ah, mistakes. We’ve all made them -- some of us much more frequently than others -- and sometimes they can be costly. But for some, they weren’t just costly -- they’ve resulted in catastrophic consequences, both financially and in terms of human life. From NASA’s $125 million mistake with the Mars Climate Orbiter, to the Patriot Missile miscalculation that resulted in 28 deaths, to the Crypto.com whoopsie of sending $10.5 million instead of $100 -- mistakes can have a huge impact.
This list looks at some of the most tiny, yet costly mistakes of all time. From miscalculations to programming errors, these mistakes have cost millions of dollars and, in some cases, lives. It’s kind of a reminder that even the most experienced and knowledgeable of us can make mistakes, and that, just like them, we should always strive to pray to the Lord that we don’t end up making mistakes.
Oops, $125 million mistake.
![FATAL x ERROR A WHOLE MARS CLIMATE ORBITER DOWN THE DRAIN NASA didn't convert measurements from Imperial to metric before the Mars Climate Orbiter launch, which put it off course, and eventually led to the destruction of the $125 million contraption. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/5/4/894154.jpg)
Expanding the port to fit the submarine: not the best plan.
![FATAL x ERROR HAVING TO EXP AND A WHOLE PORT In 2003, a misplaced decimal point in the design of Spain's new submarine meant that it was 100 tons heavier than expected. The port of Cartagena, where it was being built, had to be expanded and dredged to fit it. This caused a five year delay. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/5/5/894155.jpg)
Drilling disaster: $45 million mistake.
![FATAL x ERROR LOSING $45 MILLION (ACCIDENTALLY CREATING A SALTWATER LAKE) In 1980, an oil rig team in Louisiana drilled in the wrong place, creating a 200-foot- deep saltwater lake and costing the company $45 million. Why? An engineer mixed up two types of geographical coordinates, leading to a mapping error. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/8/894148.jpg)
Oops, $225 million mistake.
![,275.30 30,463.58 15 648 57 1 1042 1,014.12 +7.62) (+1594) ( 144 00)) 933 60.44 3.65 -56.29 -127.6 60.30 (-0.23) (15282) I-1842.19) (-126.7 55.90) FATAL x ERROR 203 85.65 is $225 MILLION -107.5 IN STOCK LOST -62.75 6723 (-74.46 -115 98 (784) 17.61 Mizuho Securities Co. made a 42133 big mistyped mistake a stock in 2005 trade when price, they 108 -8.74 49 18.08) costing them at least $225 50 million. The Tokyo Stock 75.41 Exchange 03 wouldn't let them n 427.15 19.36) cancel the order. 22.217.71 34,883.23 36,274 156,015.25 ,028.94 the 13) (+3.99) 4.44) 10.15 -2.87 741.27 26.98 and 201 16 CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/5/0/894150.jpg)
Right result, wrong implementation.
![FATAL x ERROR A CONVICTED MAN WALKS FREE FOR 13 YEARS Because of a clerical error, a man in Missouri was sent to prison in 2014-13 years after his conviction. A judge released him nine months later, taking into account the time that had passed between his conviction and his arrest. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/5/2/894152.jpg)
"Technical issue" leads to devastating consequences.
![FATAL x ERROR 150 WRONG MEDICAL TEST RESULTS In 2001, because of a Y2K bug that miscalculated their ages, 150 pregnant women at a British hospital got incorrect results from a Down's Syndrome test. This led to two women deciding to end their pregnancies. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/7/894147.jpg)
Metric miscalculation.
![AIR FATAL x ERROR 803 PASSENGER JET RAN OUT OF GAS MID-AIR In 1983, an Air Canada Boeing 767 ran out of gas because of a mistake when converting measurements, and had to make an emergency landing in Gimli, Manitoba. Luckily, they managed to pull it off. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/5/894145.jpg)
Patriot Missile miscalculation: 28 dead, 100 injured.
![FATAL x ERROR 28 SOLDIERS' DEATHS During the Gulf War, a Patriot Missile battery's software system miscalculated how long it'd been since it was turned on, which ultimately caused it to miss its target, an Iraqi Scud missile. The Scud wound up killing 28 soldiers and injuring 100 others. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/5/1/894151.jpg)
Crypto.com: Whoops.
![+0 FATAL x ERROR $10.5 MILLION LOST In 2021, Crypto.com accidentally sent a woman $10.5 million instead of the $100 refund she asked for. Why? An employee made a mistake and put an account number in the payment field. 63,52 crypto 504.72 CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/6/894146.jpg)
Oops, Excel mistakes cost a lot.
![10 Insert Page Layout Cut FATAL x ERROR $24 MILLION Copy DOLLARS LOST In May 2020, a Canadian power Formal generator power transmission bought many hedging too U.S. contracts at higher prices than they needed to. The CEO said it was literally a cut-and-paste error in an Excel spreadsheet. В A CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/4/894144.jpg)
Cancer treatment gone wrong.
![FATAL x ERROR A RADIATION THERAPY MACHINE KILLING PATIENTS In 1987, the Therac-25 radiation therapy machine caused serious burns and even some deaths because of software bugs, and a lack of hardware locks and other safety features CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/5/3/894153.jpg)
Miscalculation leads to bridge height difference.
![FATAL x ERROR TWO BRIDGE SECTIONS FAILING TO CONNECT In 2013, two sections of the High Rhine Bridge, being built towards each other, turned out to be 54 centimeters apart in height. Why? A miscalculation doubled the 27-centimeter difference between the North Sea and Mediterranean Sea levels. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/9/894149.jpg)
Oops, we did it again.
![FATAL ERROR LOSS OF THE VIKING 1 LANDER In 1983, the Viking 1 lander stopped working because of a software update that messed up its communication programming and cut off its connection with Earth. Go NASA. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/5/6/894156.jpg)