Lesson learned: Distraction during takeoff

On a hot summer day, I wanted to fly from Basel to Lausanne with my girlfriend. With the weather so beautiful, we weren’t the only ones planning a trip. On top of that, the airlines were extremely busy, so air traffic control informed us that we would have to be patient as there were still three arrivals and two departures ahead of us. As our plane did not have air conditioning, we opened the doors a little. Suddenly, the air traffic controller asked if we were ready to take off immediately. Of course, we didn’t want to miss this opportunity. We hurriedly closed the doors and followed the instructions of the friendly air traffic controller.

Shortly after takeoff, there was a bang and we heard loud knocking noises. My girlfriend wanted to lean forward to pick up her cell phone, which had fallen, and bumped her head against the control yoke. Quick-thinking, I pushed her back, preventing an uncontrolled flight attitude or even a crash. Visibly shaken, I immediately asked air traffic control for permission to land, which was granted right away. After turning off the engine on the ground, I had to take a few deep breaths. What had actually happened?

It didn’t take long before I noticed that the seat belt was stuck in the door. This caused the knocking noises on the fuselage due to the airflow. In addition, my girlfriend’s cell phone was not properly stowed away and fell to the floor due to the sudden movements of the aircraft.

Conclusion: Before I report “ready for departure” to air traffic control, I make sure that I really am ready. This means that I check again that all loose items (cell phone, writing implements, cards, etc.) are securely stowed away, the seat belts are not jammed and the doors are properly closed. Above all, I don’t let myself be distracted by mishaps during the takeoff phase. True to the motto “fly the aircraft first.”

If you would like to know more about “Dealing with distractions and interruptions” – a latent danger in aviation – we recommend reading «DISTRACTION AND INTERRUPTION IN GENERAL AVIATION OPERATIONS».

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