Risk Management Magazine

Recently, I accepted a position as the post safety specialist. Just before starting, however, I made one of the most common on-the-job mistakes — rushing to complete a task.

On an October night in 2024, a flight of two AH-64D Apaches returned to base in Erbil, Iraq, after a routine training mission. The crews were cleared for a straight-in approach to their parking pads, a maneuver they had performed countless times, day and night. At this stage of their deployment, the approach was as familiar as a daily commute home from work — simple and routine.

Without warning, a strong gust of wind lifted the bow straight up and, in a blink of an eye, I was looking at blue sky. The boat spun 90 degrees before the front end dropped and I realized I was headed straight for the riverbank still running wide open. I had enough time to release the tiller arm, grab the sides of the boat and hang on for dear life.