Index: /branches/eam_branches/ipp-20110213/psLib/src/fits/psFitsTable.c
===================================================================
--- /branches/eam_branches/ipp-20110213/psLib/src/fits/psFitsTable.c	(revision 30715)
+++ /branches/eam_branches/ipp-20110213/psLib/src/fits/psFitsTable.c	(revision 30716)
@@ -645,5 +645,12 @@
                     psMetadata *row = table->data[i]; // The row of interest
                     psMetadataItem *dataItem = psMetadataLookup(row, colSpecItem->name); // Value of interest
-                    memcpy(&columnData->data.U8[i * dataSize], &dataItem->data, dataSize);
+		    if (dataItem) {
+			memcpy(&columnData->data.U8[i * dataSize], &dataItem->data, dataSize);
+		    } else {
+			// this element is missing from this row; insert an appropriate-sized place holder
+			// XXX this should insert a NAN for float / double and an appropriate blank for int types
+			// XXX for the moment I am putting in 0.0
+			memset(&columnData->data.U8[i * dataSize], 0, dataSize);
+		    }
                 }