On May 31 2014 a Gulfstream G-IV crashed and burst into flames as it tried to take off for Atlantic City. All who were aboard died.
Cockpit transcripts show the pilots suddenly realising they had tried to take off with their tail elevators locked.
The 1935 crash of the prototype Boeing B17 at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio killed both pilots. Investigation found that the pilots had forgotten to disengage the crucial gust locks – devices that lock the tail elevators – prior to take-off.
These crashes occurred 81 years apart but happened for the same reason.
The pilots didn’t follow a preflight checklist.
A preflight checklist is a list of tasks that should be performed by pilots and aircrew prior to takeoff. Its purpose is to improve flight safety by ensuring that no important tasks are forgotten. Failure to correctly conduct a preflight check using a checklist is a major contributing factor to aircraft accidents.
After the 1935 crash Boeing introduced the preflight checklist and to this day it is used in cockpits around the world. Even pilots with thousands of hours and years of experience go through the same routine prior to every flight.
The preflight checklist contains the fundamentals of preparing the plane for a safe flight.
Fundamentals rarely change.
Every time I see someone move away from the fundamentals of a successful business (or I do it myself) I know we are in for a bumpy ride.
Having a preflight checklist in your business is crucial for you to get to your destination.
Without one you might crash along the way.
Jump aboard: http://www.jameskemp.
