A spectacular crash, in the mode of the conclusion of the car-chase scene in the movie "Bullitt" and many subsequent imitators (compare die horribly). A sun-3 display screen losing the flyback transformer and lightning strikes on vax-11/780 backplanes are notable crash and burn generators.

The construction "crash-and-burn machine" is reported for a computer used exclusively for alpha or beta testing, or reproducing bugs (i.e. not for development). The implication is that it wouldn't be such a disaster if that machine crashed, since only the testers would be inconvenienced.

[jargon file]