The Columbia Accident Investigation Board will cite serious deficiencies in NASA's overall safety program as a root cause or significant contributing factor to the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and her crew.

Investigators believe these deficiencies involve a lack of effectiveness about how NASA has carried out the government's responsibility for broader oversight, when it transferred more specific vehicle quality control duties to the United Space Alliance (USA) under the Space Flight Operations Contract (SFOC).

That will be a significant part of the Board's report," said accident board chairman Adm. (ret) Harold W. Gehman.

NASA will come in for greater criticism than the contractor and NASA's role will likely draw sharp Congressional and Bush administration interest.

The board has conducted about 60 interviews with line technicians in United Space Alliance all the way up through mid-level and senior management at NASA and USA. "And not a single person has said that the quality program is at 100% where it ought to be," said an investigator familiar with those interviews.