Risk Management Magazine

The following incident happened a few years ago while I was an AH-64A instructor pilot at the Western Army National Guard Aviation Training Site at Silverbell Army Heliport in Marana, Arizona. It demonstrated to me that when things happen, some of them go the way you want while others do not.

Mishap investigations rarely uncover new contributing failures. Nearly every mishap is the result of a combination of the same errors that contributed to a previous mishap.

We’ve all been there — that “will-I-make-it” moment. If you’re lucky enough to have avoided that experience, then you’ve heard it from the mouths of others — probably accompanied with a few nervous chuckles. For most, it’s the first time, and hopefully last, as well as a valuable learning point.