Risk Management Magazine

My career, like those of most Army aviators, consists of routine flights that represent a lot of planning. But some of those routine flights turn into memorable events. One of those now-memorable flights was a routine mission transporting two people from Cairns Army Airfield at Fort Novosel, Alabama, to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and then returning.

Just after midnight, there was a knock on the door to my containerized housing unit. I opened it to see my platoon leader (captain) and platoon sergeant standing there grimly. I knew we hadn’t crashed, but by the looks on their faces, I knew something happened.

As pilots, it is our responsibility to minimize every hazard we encounter. In a job such as ours, there is enough inherent danger. There is no need for us to create more.