Sometimes a story comes along that just resonates with me. I became aware of one such story this week. Now, I’ve made a few mistakes in my life, but I trust that I’ve learnt from most of them. And many of them would have gone completely unnoticed. I suspect that it’s the same for you.
How easy is it, to make a little mistake? Sometimes however a little mistake can have a big consequent. Consequences that cannot be easily rectified or hidden. But nonetheless, still provide an opportunity for acquiring knowledge and doing things a little differently next time around. If there should ever be a next time, that is!
What grabbed my attention was an article in the Telegraph,16 July 2021, titled ‘British Airways jet took a nose dive because mechanic was too short to lock landing gear.’ You can read the article here. My mind immediately when back to Randy Newman and his 1977 hit ‘Short People’.
The problem with this mechanic, was his lack of stature, he was short! And this, along with some other shortcomings (pun not intended) resulted in a very public failure, as the nose of a British Airways 787-8 came crashing down and this in front of many onlookers. Oops!
The article opens by stating the following: -
British Airways jet collapsed on its nose at Heathrow Airport after a mechanic was too short to lock its landing gear into place, a report has revealed.
The lead mechanic was tasked with securing the nose landing gear of the Boeing 787-8 in the down position before a planned flight to Germany last month.
But according to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch report, he was “not tall enough” to reach a pin needed to lock landing gear, so asked a taller colleague to perform the task. However, the second mechanic put the pin in the wrong recess.
There is so much that could be said, I just wish to make this comment. If you are short and this causes issue for you, asking a tall person for assistance may not be the best solution.
It makes you think!
But back to Randy Newman. There is an interesting documentary on him titled ‘I am, Unfortunately, Randy Newman'. If your interested take a look. That’s enough time wasting for now.
