The technique of H (Rydberg) atom photofragment translational spectroscopy has been used to study the process HFCO(S-1)-->H+FCO((X) over tilde), near its appearance threshold, at excitation wavelengths ca. 247 nm. Analyses of the resulting total kinetic energy release spectra lead to an accurate determination of the C-H bond strength : D-0(H-FCO) = 34950+/-20 cm(-1). The resulting FCO fragments are observed to be formed with little internal energy, distributed mainly in the form of a-axis rotation. Fragmentation is shown to involve S-1-T-1 intersystem crossing, followed by rapid passage along the minimum energy path to the eventual H+FCO products. This minimum energy path involves passage over (or H atom tunnelling through) a saddle point, the height of which is greater than or equal to 4740 cm(-1) above the dissociation asymptote. The observed propensity for a-axis rotation in the FCO product reflects changes in the parent geometry as it evolves along the C-H dissociation coordinate on the T-1 surface; past the saddle point, the barrier energy is released largely in the form of product recoil.