Type 1 operational failures were forensically diagnosed as improper reproduction of the original tape tracking pathway. These failures likely reflected a degree of natural ability in visualizing the tape position necessary to restore function. This type of failure identified a missing component of the technical instructions capable of being redressed by the addition of another instructional step.

Type 2 operational failures were forensically diagnosed as insufficient physical dexterity in manipulating the components of the cassette cartridge resulting in dropping the disassembled cartridge or in mutilation of the magnetic tape after reassembly while attempting to rewind loose tape onto the tape spools.

Recommendations for Revisions to Technical Instructions:

Forensic analysis of technical failures indicated that the technical instructions lacked sufficient detail with regard to ensuring that the adhesive tape splicing the magnetic tape was secure in effecting a seal sufficient to withstand the stress of playback. The technical instructions require the addition of a step detailing that at least 1/8-inch of magnetic tape be covered by the adhesive tape on each end and that the repaired section be tested by gently pulling both sides before reassembly. Repeated trials after inclusion of this instructional element successfully resolved most of the technical failures related to tape...

Specifically, once the magnetic tape was already ruptured, successful reassembly was dependent on the subject's intuitive ability to predict the correct tracking path of the magnetic tape through the cartridge mechanism components. These failures suggested the need to add another step to the technical instructions: namely, the observation of another (intact) cassette tape cartridge to note the correct tracking path before initiating a repair attempt on a damaged cartridge. The addition of this step successfully resolved all Type 1 operational failures on subsequent trials.
Forensic analysis indicated that Type 2 operational failures were attributable to inexperience and innate differences in physical dexterity. These failures were not directly related to deficiencies in the technical instructions but primarily to subjects' dropping the cartridge prior to completion and/or to the subjects' inability to rewind the tape after splicing without damaging or tangling it further. Nevertheless, the technical instructions should be amended to include a warning to perform all elements of the repairs detailed therein no more than several inches above the working surface to minimize the consequences of dropping the cassette cartridge prior to full reassembly.