Checklist Complete?

I once had an emergency while serving as pilot in command. It was a big one. It was the type of emergency that means you will shortly be landing somewhere, anywhere, so you best hurry up and get ready. There were red-box—or bold—items, the ones you memorize, to perform. Fortunately, not too many. And in the 90 seconds from the start of my emergency until we were egressing from the cockpit, there was a moment.

Amy Laboda

Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The pilot uses "Checklist complete?" as a mental trigger to not only verify tasks are done but also to initiate a rapid, in-the-moment review of pre-planned emergency scenarios and their corresponding actions.
This proactive mental rehearsal covers various "what if" situations—like wind shear, runway obstruction, or engine failure—and their immediate solutions, such as a go-around or emergency landing procedure.
By consistently applying this preparation across all critical flight phases, pilots aim to avoid mental paralysis during unexpected events, enabling practiced, immediate responses that significantly enhance aviation safety.

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It came when every item on my emergency checklist for landing was complete. There was nothing else to say to ATC about my problem and I’d briefed my passengers. We were about 300 feet off the surface of the water on which I was about to land the airplane, and it felt like time had slowed perceptibly—I had a moment to think. I saw my set up, with a smooth, flat body of water ahead of me and asked myself the question all of us should ask on short final: “Landing checklist complete?” I remember my leg suddenly shaking.