Risk Management Magazine

Like many teenagers, I wanted a fast car that would impress my friends. When I finally turned 16 and got my driver’s license, my parents would often say, “Don’t drive faster than your guardian angel can fly.” I’m sure a few of you heard those same words. But did you know that phrase could also apply to aviation, like when a pilot gets behind the controls of an aircraft they’re unfamiliar with operating?

Suddenly, BAM! Out of nowhere, I struck what I thought was a ramp. It was actually a raised roadbed that was closer than I remembered. Worst of all, I hit it at a slanted angle. The roadbed was about 18 inches high and had a sloping angle to the side of it. Hitting it in a HMMWV or truck wouldn’t have been a big deal, but it proved much differently in the SkyTrak.

Few times in my life has an event disturbed me so deeply that, when I think about it even 10 years later, my heartrate still rises and a sickening lurch is conjured in the pit of my stomach. Given my current profession, this incident was embarrassing enough that I wish it could be forgotten, but it is still all too relevant and will forever be used as one of my most prominent teaching points.