How has a checklist saved you?

[201er]

Share about the most consequential situations a checklist saved you? What did you miss and what would have happened if you didn’t catch it thanks to the checklist? Or what regrets do you have from situations that could have been prevented through checklist use?

[47U]

12 hours ago, 201er said:

Or what regrets do you have from situations that could have been prevented through checklist use?

I’m still trying to get my ground crew to pull the chocks which I realize their failure to perform this important function when I try to taxi.

”Over wing and aft hatches checked closed.  Chocks, ground wires, pitot tube covers, external ground equipment removed.  Upper and lower rotating beacons on and rotating.  Aircraft is in taxi configuration.”

[midlifeflyer]

Fortunately, since I use a checklist I haven't been placed in a situation where I  had to be rescued by one because I didn't use it and then decided to. 

I'm not sure what you are asking about but it reminds me of something non-aviation that happened ages ago. I was still in law school and my friend Ken got a student prosecutor position with the local DA's office. He was going to have his first trial that day, so I came to watch. The case was about a kid sniffing airplane model glue (aha! an aviation connection!) from a paper bag, a popular albeit stupid pastime of the era.

Anyway, the police never secured the bag in a sealed enclosure so, by the time of the trial, the evidence was gone. Undeterred, in response to the defense motion to dismiss, Ken valiantly argued, "Airplane glue smell dissipates with time, so the fact that it's not there now means it was airplane glue."

[MikeOH]

5 hours ago, midlifeflyer said:

Fortunately, since I use a checklist I haven't been placed in a situation where I  had to be rescued by one because I didn't use it and then decided to. 

I'm not sure what you are asking about but it reminds me of something non-aviation that happened ages ago. I was still in law school and my friend Ken got a student prosecutor position with the local DA's office. He was going to have his first trial that day, so I came to watch. The case was about a kid sniffing airplane model glue (aha! an aviation connection!) from a paper bag, a popular albeit stupid pastime of the era.

Anyway, the police never secured the bag in a sealed enclosure so, by the time of the trial, the evidence was gone. Undeterred, in response to the defense motion to dismiss, Ken valiantly argued, "Airplane glue smell dissipates with time, so the fact that it's not there now means it was airplane glue."

So, is Ken still doing stand-up comedy or did he marry money?

[bigmo]

I don’t think this falls into the ‘saved me’ category…but in follow every step of the checklist and touch each item with my finger. Keeps me from doing stupid stuff like departing VFR with my last IFR code (even though I rarely fly VFR).

I will say that developing a good checklist and following it prevents minor situations from becoming major. Part of my pre takeoff procedure is to bug the autopilot on the runway heading (which I’m sure you all do). But it’s an easy thing to skip if you’re just buzzing around. Did a flight with a couple recently and just after gear up she threw up and then started panicking - was a one click solution to manage the aircraft while I dealt with the problem. Not a big deal, but panicky people can do weird stuff. It was nice to not have to think about the place for a couple of minutes knowing it was going where I told it.

Ive never had an “oops gear” or anything following my lists, but it just builds good flow…heck I say it out loud even solo.

[midlifeflyer]

10 hours ago, MikeOH said:

So, is Ken still doing stand-up comedy or did he marry money?

Despite a start that had me (and the judge) laughing, Ken did pretty well in his law practice. OTOH, I’m the one who’s been accused of doing stand-up in courtrooms, so maybe the lesson stuck. 

[GeeBee]

The disciplined use of a checklist and the saves it creates cannot be calculated. You cannot count what did not happen.

[takair]

I can tell of the times where “a friend” skipped a checklist or a flow due to distractions. “They” have forgotten gust locks, pitot covers, cones in front of plane, trim, flaps, cowl flaps, and most recently distracted from doing gumps by weather…..gear was down but not locked. Gear warning to the rescue. 
 

I think a good flow satisfies a checklist. 
 

I think the problem is always distractions. Even with a checklist there are numerous examples of doing the checklist and missing something. Interrupted by a radio call. Rote reflexes that look, but don’t see. 
 

Checklists and flows (maybe not all agree on the “flow”) are great safety enhancers.  However, what would enhance safety would be a way to ensure there is always time to run them and not miss anything. I have yet to see a completely bulletproof checklist.  Luckily most airplanes have some forgiveness built in. Some level of automation helps, but not all automation is bulletproof either. I know we want to believe we will say “unable” when rushed, but sometimes it’s not practical. When our routine is thrown off is when we are most susceptible. If you can sneak a checklist in at that time, it is the perfect time for it, but ironically it is exactly the checklist which is omitted in order to work around the new situation. 
 

I realize my response is not entirely helpful except to say to my friend, try not to be in a rush, build in more time for  preparation, pre flights and checklists.  Maybe we can make up some of the time by flying faster  ROP :-). Be safe everybody!!

[201er]

2 hours ago, GeeBee said:

The disciplined use of a checklist and the saves it creates cannot be calculated. You cannot count what did not happen.

Why not? Are you saying people use it as instructions how to fly the plane?

I thought it’s a “check” list, not a do list or instruction manual. Surely people have stories of “genuinely forgot to put the gear down but then did the checklist and caught it in time.” Or a bunch of other things like that?

[Brian2034]

I have something that could have been avoided if the check list was followed.

I had a partner on an aircraft a few years ago, he’s a great pilot and always goes by the checklist but for some reason on this day he was distracted or in a rush???

Well, he left the tow bar attached, long story short prop strike!

You would not believe how much damage a prop does when it strikes the tow bar on startup.

Destroyed the prop and of course an engine tear down an expensive mistake or lesson however you want to look at it. But I’m sure he always goes by the check list now and btw he’s still a partner on a plane with me.

Also, at our hangar most pilots now place their tow bars in an area by the hangar door when they fly. So before startup you can look out your aircraft window and visually see your tow bar.

[Paul Thomas]

I think the main problem with checklist is that they are being used as do-list. You're not putting the gear down, you should be checking that it did in fact go down and you have a safe indication. For most pilot, the gear is down the when the lever has been moved down and that can lead to trouble.

 

9 minutes ago, Brian2034 said:

I have something that could have been avoided if the check list was followed.

I had a partner on an aircraft a few years ago, he’s a great pilot and always goes by the checklist but for some reason on this day he was distracted or in a rush???

Well, he left the tow bar attached, long story short prop strike!

You would not believe how much damage a prop does when it strikes the tow bar on startup.

Destroyed the prop and of course an engine tear down an expensive mistake or lesson however you want to look at it. But I’m sure he always goes by the check list now and btw he’s still a partner on a plane with me.

Also, at our hangar most pilots now place their tow bars in an area by the hangar door when they fly. So before startup you can look out your aircraft window and visually see your tow bar.

To prevent that, my hand never leaves the tow bar until it's removed from the aircraft.

[jlunseth]

I always use a checklist, or a flow for some functions. Since I always do them, I have been fortunate and always caught errors. A couple stand out. I always do a P-lead check, also called a mag check, when I shut down, as part of my shutdown flow. On one occasion I found a P-lead failure, immediately informed the FBO, we flagged the prop so no line kids would try to move it, and got it fixed right away. The other one I remember is preventing a gear up. So I always check for gear down on final and I say it to myself, "Gear Down." While practicing for my commercial I was doing power off 180s. A Mooney was on the ground and apparently trying to figure out which direction I was landing in because he did a 180 on the taxiway and then another. There was also a guy assembling an ultralight in the grass right at the approach end. So I was watching the two of them like a hawk, especially since the paraglider guy was not on a radio, and forgot the gear. I did my final gear down check on final and it was not down, so I executed a go around and found another airport without congestion to practice at.

[GeeBee]

4 hours ago, 201er said:

Why not? Are you saying people use it as instructions how to fly the plane?

I thought it’s a “check” list, not a do list or instruction manual. Surely people have stories of “genuinely forgot to put the gear down but then did the checklist and caught it in time.” Or a bunch of other things like that?

Note I said, “disciplined use”. Recently there was a fatal due to a door popping open. Now does one double check the security of a door because it might cause a fatal, because it is part of the flow or because we know it is a checklist item. Answer is we never really know. It is like asking if the Japanese scout plane had launched on time, would they have won the battle of Midway. The ommision or commission of one thing changes events in unpredictable ways, sometimes better, sometimes worse and often not at all.

[Brian2034]

12 hours ago, Paul Thomas said:

I think the main problem with checklist is that they are being used as do-list. You're not putting the gear down, you should be checking that it did in fact go down and you have a safe indication. For most pilot, the gear is down the when the lever has been moved down and that can lead to trouble.

 

To prevent that, my hand never leaves the tow bar until it's removed from the aircraft.

I also do the same thing don’t let go the tow bar until it’s removed form the aircraft. Also for a final check a visual of the tow bar in the same location every time they fly is also good practice.

[Ed de C.]

I have a story about not using a checklist properly.  This was about 20 years ago in my Lancair 360 (that I built).  The air induction system was up to the builder, and I constructed a pilot-controlled ram air and filtered air setup.  My checklist called for taxiing with filtered air and switching to ram air at the end of the runway.  For some reason, on one flight I skipped that step and took off on filtered air into rain at 40 F in Philadelphia.  The cloud deck was several thousand feet thick with tops at about 8,000 feet.  As I was seeing the sun peaking through the last of the layer, I noticed my fuel flow dropping (I should have also noticed my manifold pressure dropping but that's not what I remember).  The engine started popping (since it was being motored) and power was about gone.  I declared an emergency, got it turned around and back to the field.  As I descended through around 4,000 feet the power came roaring back.  It turned out to be a frozen air filter that blocked flow, and I had no automatic alternate air (as we do in the Mooneys).  All I had to do was switch to ram air...

I've done plenty of other dumb things:  forgot to latch the baggage door (having it pop open in flight), take off with mixture not full in, not had barf bags on board, forgot to put the engine data card back into the MFD, etc.  All of these are now checklist items.  I've never landed gear up and never had a prop strike.  Some of that is learning from people on this site.  I never leave a tow bar or sidewinder attached to the plane when not in use.  GUMP(F) is a religion (F for flaps).  

The checklist is a complex subject.  Perhaps a few other useful thoughts:

• It's a living document for at least the first 2 years:  I started with the Mooney POH and created a MS Word checklist in trifold format.  I tuned it for goofs and circumstances so that now there's very little that can happen that isn't covered.  
• My checklist covers from days before the flight (e.g. call ahead to FBO and check passenger airsickness risk) thru shutdown.  I have telephone numbers for popular FBOs, and short procedures for steps I have trouble remembering (e.g. VNAV, Icing considerations, temperature lapse rates, etc.)  
• At this point (about 2-years into Ovation ownership) the checklist comprises 2 pages (front and back) in landscape trifold format, plus one piece of a 3rd sheet.  I periodically try to whittle it down by removing unused steps and combining some.  Every "aw shucks" becomes a checklist review to see if a change is needed.
• I've had instructors advise following a FLOW model.  I've not found that to be intuitive for me.  Instead, I try a pneumonic (like GUMP) or add it to the checklist (such as various types of instrument approaches along with speeds).  
• For takeoff, I listed the important before-take off items, and gave the first letter of each to my daughter with the challenge of coming up with a pneumonic.  She did:
  • FLAPPERMAT:  Flaps, Landing lights, Pilot's window, Propeller, Elevator trim, Rudder trim, Mixture, Traffic Alert breaker pushed in.  
• The key takeoff killers are there on the G1000 engine page:  both trims.  Then the 3 engine controls full forward.  
• Some things really need to be memory items because there's not time to consult a checklist.  Missed approach and Clean, Climb, Cram is a case in point (plus hit the go-around button).  Sure, I've climbed up to altitude for another approach, wondering why my trim and airspeed feel funny, only to see that I forgot to raise gear and flaps, or I didn't notice the speed brakes were deployed due to a view-limiting device.  A checklist review at level off will catch these things.  

Best, 

Ed

[dkkim73]

On 4/27/2025 at 8:31 AM, Paul Thomas said:

For most pilot, the gear is down the when the lever has been moved down and that can lead to trouble.

Your broader point is more important, but a small technique that helps with the above (from one of Mike Elliott's experienced instructors) was keep your hand on the gear lever until confirming indications (I look down at the mechanical indicator then up at the annunciator panel). 

Also I check again on short final. 

Main threat is variant flow, from dropping gear way out to lose energy when in ice and can't deploy brakes, to planning on abeam but then getting extensions, 360, side step etc. Postponing seems the biggest red flag to me.