{"id":5385,"date":"2019-12-19T03:25:45","date_gmt":"2019-12-19T07:25:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=5385"},"modified":"2022-03-17T15:30:25","modified_gmt":"2022-03-17T19:30:25","slug":"boeing-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/boeing-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"Boeing Checklist: How It Saves Lives, What It Can Teach You"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 1935, before the use of the “Boeing checklist,” the Army Air Corps asked airplane manufacturers for a new long-range bomber. Boeing\u2019s Model 299, which exceeded specifications, was favored over models by Martin and Douglas. However, during a flight competition held by the Army in Dayton, Ohio, the Boeing model stalled at 300 feet and crashed, killing two of five crew members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ll cover how the Boeing checklist was developed, how it has saved the lives of crew and passengers, and how you can make your own effective checklist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Creating the <\/strong>Boeing Checklist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The plane was much more complicated than previous aircraft \u2014 the pilot had more steps to follow and forgot to release a new locking mechanism on the elevator and rudder controls. After the accident, a newspaper called the new model \u201ctoo much airplane for one man to fly.\u201d  The Army Air Corps chose Douglas\u2019s smaller design, and Boeing took a big financial hit.
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Nonetheless, the Army bought a few Model 299s as test planes and a group of test pilots studied how to prevent future pilot errors. Instead of focusing on requiring longer training, they came up with a pilot\u2019s Boeing checklist. Flying up to that point had not been especially complicated, but flying the new plane required too many details to be left to memory.
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The test pilots made their Boeing checklist simple, clear, and concise \u2014 it fit on an index card \u2014 with step-by-step checks for takeoff, landing, and taxiing. Using the checklist, pilots went on to fly the bomber, which became the B-17 Flying Fortress, 1.8 million miles without incident. The Army ordered 13,000, and the bomber gave the allies a big air advantage in World War II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Checklists have become essential in aviation<\/a>, averting problems and accidents. In notebook and electronic forms, they\u2019re a standard and crucial part of pilot training and aircraft operation.
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Creating a Checklist<\/strong> like Boeing’s Checklist<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Boorman, flight desk designer for Boeing, is an expert at developing checklists. He\u2019s analyzed thousands of crashes and mishaps in an effort to figure out how to create checklists that prevent human errors.
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Boorman\u2019s Boeing checklists fill a thick spiral-bound handbook with tabs. Yet each Boeing checklist is brief, consisting of a few lines on a page in large, easy-to-read type. Each applies to a different situation; together they encompass a range of scenarios. At the beginning of the notebook are what pilots call \u201cnormal\u201d checklists for routine operations \u2014 for instance, steps to take before starting the engines. They\u2019re followed by \u201cnon-normal\u201d checklists for emergency situations such as engine failure, smoke in the cockpit, or an insecure door.
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Over two decades, Boorman has learned how to make checklists<\/a> that work. There are key differences between bad and good checklists.
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Bad checklists are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n