Risk Management Magazine

As the cotter pin began to yield to the technician's efforts, an unforeseen consequence arose. In the heat of the moment, the technician underestimated the amount of force required to dislodge the pin completely. With a sudden and unexpected release of tension, the cotter pin broke free from its moorings, propelled by the force exerted by the technician.

When the over-tensioned binder released, all of the energy propelled the cheater bar like a catapult. On the way up, the bar struck the Soldier under the chin, breaking his jaw in three places. The force of the blow was so great that it lifted him off his feet and threw him from the trailer to the ground.

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.