Writing User Guides

Whoops! There goes $6.7 million

In late March of 2006, the US Air Force released an accident investigation report about a mishap that occurred last October when a mechanic at Hill Air Force Base in Utah removed a 5-inch metal pin from the landing gear of one of the Raptor jets before takeoff. The mechanic inadvertently dropped the pin, which was sucked into one of the plane's two engines, causing $6.7 million in damage. Investigators deemed the pilot and the mechanic were not to blame, but faulted an inadequate training manual.

Investigators concluded that, while Air Force guides correctly instructed Raptor mechanics to install the landing gear pins before performing maintenance on the airplanes, there were no similar step-by-step instructions to ensure mechanics remember to take the pins out prior to clearing the aircraft for use.

Source: The Air Force's F-22 fighter program is taking fire from all sides. GovernmentExecutive.com. URL: http://www.govexec.com/features/0606-01/0606-01na2.htm