Risk Management Magazine

“Go-around! Go-around! Go-around!” Those were the words we wished we heard before our stabilator struck the ground. This mishap could have been prevented, and we’re lucky it didn’t cause severe damage to the aircraft or injuries to the crew.

During one deployment, I was part of an aircrew that, upon landing, discovered an open and damaged engine nacelle. My first reaction was how the nacelle latch could fail in flight because I always check them during my walk-around. I asked myself, “I did check them this time, right?”

While deployed to an Eastern European country as a chief warrant officer three, I was a maintenance test pilot assigned to a UH-60L air assault company. My unit was more than halfway through our deployment with no major aircraft mishaps. Well, at least none yet.