Some basic concepts of failure analysis and accident investigation are presented. This article illustrates through several failure cases, the effects of the dynamics of impulse and impact in concert with the system supports or boundary conditions on failure. Whether dynamical loads are design or are overload in nature, their effects are frequently not anticipated in the design cycle or misinterpreted in the aftermath of a failure. A brief review is presented of several representative failure cases which are discussed in the context of different causes and modes of failure.