Take extra time to ensure safety Published May 5, 2008 By Lt. Col. Matthew Lloyd 9th Air refueling Squadron TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Dec. 7, 2007, I received the worst phone call a commander can get. One of my Airmen was killed in a car accident. In the rain at 2:30 a.m., the car he was riding in was hit by a tractor trailer. I don't know exactly what happened that night, but I am convinced different risk: management decisions, either before going out or on the drive home, could have resulted in a different outcome. We all are trained extensively in operational risk management. We all employ risk management techniques in everything we do professionally. Take a look at the big picture. Flight crew members plan every detail of an upcoming flight the day before. If the take-off time is between midnight and 6 a.m., we look at how to adjust it to avoid the inherent risks of operating at that time. We ensure all crew members have adequate rest - in fact, we are required to have 12 uninterrupted hours prior to flying. We examine the weather and adjust the flight plan or planned activity to avoid bad or dangerous conditions. The aircraft we fly is expertly maintained. It is gone over with a fine-tooth comb after each flight and even more so before. There is a regular maintenance schedule which is followed to the letter for every part on the jet. Now let's look at an off-duty scenario. Many of us will think nothing of working (or skiing, swimming, hiking, etc.) all day and then starting a long drive. We and our families will get in a car that may not have been looked over since the last quickie lube oil change 3,000 miles ago, let alone had a thorough multi-point inspection in accordance with the owner's manual any time in recent memory. We will drive late into the night and many times into absolutely awful weather. Consider another picture. During an air refueling mission, if the aircraft to be refueled gets to one mile from the tanker and it cannot see the tanker, the refueling is aborted. If a crew is taxiing out and a malfunction is indicated or there are thunderstorms too close to the field, the crew will not take off. But on our drive home, we may decide to cross the double-yellow line to pass a truck in the rain, even if the spray makes it almost impossible to see. My point is many of us will accept risks and make decisions off duty we would never accept or make on duty. This makes no sense to me. Our mission is important and necessary yet we proceed under the idea there is almost nothing we cannot do tomorrow. Our families are the most important thing and we proceed as if there is no tomorrow. I ask, no beg, you to take that extra second to assess your situation. Please analyze the conditions, take a hard look at the risk you are accepting and consider if it is worth it. Is there a better, safer decision to make? Have you adequately managed the risks you face? Can you accept the consequences if you haven't? As I can attest, the consequences can be tragic.