The time I refused to sign off on a sketchy patch job

Early in my career, we had a tight deadline for a cargo plane. The lead told me to okay a quick patch on the fuselage. Something felt off, so I checked it again. Turns out, the patch was not sealing right. I learned that gut feelings matter in this trade.

3 comments

3 Comments

terrymurray12h ago

Gut check needed. You made the right call by not signing off. In aviation, a bad patch job is a death sentence. Your gut feeling saved that plane and its crew. Always trust your instinct over a rushed deadline.

wren19312h ago

Honestly, @terrymurray, that gut feeling stuff can be a real problem sometimes. Procedures and checklists exist for a reason, to take personal doubt out of the equation. Holding up a job because of a vibe, without hard proof something is wrong, costs a ton of money and messes up schedules for everyone. That pressure from bosses and flight schedules is real, and sometimes you have to trust the manual over a bad feeling in your stomach. The NTSB reports are full of crashes where people followed a hunch instead of the book. Sticking strictly to the written standard is the only safe bet.

emery15211h ago

Procedures miss things, guts catch them.