Commentary -- Curious thing…

  • Published
  • By Submitted by Lt. Col. Mike Land
  • 47th Flying Training Wing chief of safety
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  This article has been used for years in safety channels. In fact, it's so old I can't find the author to give them credit. However, the simplicity described is as relevant today as it was when written a few years back.


Mishaps are a curious thing. Their circumstances are seemingly innocent, a forgotten step or an overlooked procedure. But their results are often devastating; extensive damage, severe injuries, even death.

Fortunately for us, you can spot mishaps a mile away; the warning signs before the event are readily apparent. It is sadly amusing to hear the question, "Why did this happen?" One accepted definition of a mishap is "an unplanned event..."

But, mishaps are no mystery. We plan them in great detail. We store flammable items around heaters. We get into our vehicles after ingesting significant amounts of alcohol and drive away. We use tools that are damaged or broken. We ignore or discard written operating instructions. As humans we consider ourselves to be above the fray and to be intelligent enough to avoid accidents. Yet, we move inexorably toward the scarlet conclusion.

Why do we tempt fate and laugh in the face of logic? Why do we purposefully flaunt accepted wisdom and calmly step over the line? We are able to do this because we possess an exaggerated sense of our ability to control other things. We control our environment ("The Ocean looks calm. Let's head out further"). We can control other humans, too ("I can make the traffic light. He won't pull out"). Plus, we can predict the future ("My seatbelt is a waste of time. I'll be leaving the car momentarily").

We routinely decide that other folks don't have the slightest idea of what they are talking about, regardless of their experience. We are the society that values the end result more than the process. Our desire to attain the perceived prize is strong enough to cloud our judgment and cause us to dismiss or downplay impending difficulties. If we are in a hurry, we display a flagrant disregard for rules and regulations that have been established to prevent accidents or delays. Then, when we are cleaning up the mess, we are arrogant enough to wonder why the other person got in the way.

When investigating a mishap to determine root causes, it's usually not hard to figure out what went wrong. Sometimes all we have to do is dig through the remaining pile of rubble and blame on it who and/or what is at the bottom. Since only about two per cent of all mishaps are caused by naturally-occurring phenomena, the seat of blame for the other 98 per cent of mishaps is very close. But the situation should never reach this end. Here's the best way to circumvent an abrupt change to your breathing status.

Give yourself an alternative to the situations where you feel you are pressured, rushed, 100 percent correct, without choice or you just don't want to the take the extra thirty seconds. The magic alternative is to THINK.

Sounds too simple? It is. Just stop and THINK. Give yourself a constructive working pause and interject some thought into your process. Whatever your task is, if you accomplish it correctly the first time, the safety and efficiency factors that are built into the correct job procedures will both be satisfied AND there will be no need to correct errors, start over or reschedule another attempt. PLUS, the by-products of this procedure are extra time and money that you can devote to other worthwhile efforts.

Don't allow ANYTHING to make you skip a requirement, omit a step in a task or rush to complete a job. And don't hang around ANYBODY who does. Just remember, the few moments you gain by using a shortcut will be impossible to defend or explain in the event of a mishap.

THINK and enjoy life. You are the only one who can fill your shoes!


Team XL, thanks for the great work! We've surpassed the halfway point for this year's 101 Critical Days of Summer campaign with flying colors. Unfortunately, the rest of the Air Force has not shared our fortune as there have been seven fatal mishaps. Three were motorcycle related, two attributed to sports/recreation activities, one was a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle and one due to a fall from a multi-story parking garage. Remain diligent and complete these 101 Critical Days with the same vigor that we started with back in May.