Risk Management Magazine

It was a typical early summer day at Abu Hammad Air Base, Egypt, located in the Nile Delta northeast of Cairo. I was assigned as an AH-64A maintenance test pilot (MTP) and adviser to the Apache Technical Assistance Field Team. Despite the challenges of English as a second language for my Egyptian counterparts, I thought I had a good handle on how the local pilots expressed themselves. I was wrong.

Taking an early morning swim in the ocean is a great way to start your day. If you’re not careful, however, that great start could come to an abrupt and tragic end. It almost happened to me.

Although Sprain is not his real name, his story is true. He is a smart rider. He has plans further out than tomorrow, so he does not take risks just for the thrill of it. On this day, however, a series of choices and events will conspire against Sprain that will cause him to give up the motorcycle for some time. Today, he will wreck his bike.