It was supposed to be a routine skydiving jump for the experienced crew. They had done this countless times before, so the pre-jump checklist was almost automatic. But in the rush and excitement of the moment, one crucial item slipped through the cracks.
As the plane climbed to 14,000 feet, the jumpers did their final equipment checks. Everything looked good – helmet, goggles, jumpsuit, altimeter. The jumpmaster gave the signal and one by one, they leapt out the open door into the clear blue sky.
The freefall was exhilarating as always. The wind roared in their ears and the ground rushed up to meet them. At 5,000 feet, it was time to pull the ripcord and deploy the parachute. But when the jumpmaster reached for the handle, his heart sank. The parachute pack was empty. He had forgotten to put one on before jumping.
In a split second, the realization hit him. He had failed to tick that crucial box on the checklist. Now he was plummeting to the earth with no way to slow his descent. Panic set in as he frantically searched for any way to save himself. But it was too late.
A few moments later, the other jumpers watched in horror as their friend and mentor disappeared into the trees below, his unticked box on the checklist costing him his life. It was a tragic and avoidable accident, a grim reminder of the importance of following procedures to the letter, no matter how routine the task may seem. One forgotten box can make all the difference between life and death.
