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-11/780Backplanes 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] (1996-02-22)