Episode 11 – Kegworth and Checklists

This episode examines British Midlands Flight BD92 (Kegworth). In the Kegworth accident, the Boeing 737 experienced an engine failure, but the pilots shut down the wrong engine. As usual, it's a bit more complicated than it first sounds. "Tick Box" often used as a criticism of safety, but this may be a bit unfair. Checklists have an important role to play in preventing accidents, and arguably could have made a difference for Kegworth. As they are adopted into other domains, we should consider what we hope to get out of using checklists, and how they can be used wisely. In this episode I also try translating the idea that there are seven basic plots from literature to the world of accidents. I've provided the first four universal accident narratives, but help from listeners is needed to finish the list. The next episode will be about medical devices. I'm looking for someone with expertise in the domain to be interviewed or to contribute a segment, so let me know if that sounds like you.