Serious warning: A family call while testing gear almost led to a big mistake

I was calibrating an altimeter in the shop when my wife called about a plumbing leak at home. I got distracted and hurried through the last few steps to wrap up. The next day, a coworker spotted a misaligned pin I completely missed. That tiny error could have caused faulty altitude readings if it went to the plane. Since then, I've made a hard rule to finish the task before taking any personal calls. It's tough balancing family needs with our job's precision, but a split focus isn't safe. I've heard similar stories from techs who let home stress affect their work. Let's all be careful out there and keep our heads in the game when handling avionics.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_william3mo ago

But what if your kid gets hurt and you don't pick up? I've seen guys take quick calls and then just go back and check their work after. It's not that hard to pause for a minute without messing up. Sometimes worrying about missing a call makes you more jumpy than the call itself. We all have lives outside the shop, and shutting that out completely seems over the top. Maybe the answer is learning to handle breaks in focus, not pretending they won't happen.

the_luna3mo ago

Imagine risking a whole plane over a plumbing leak, priorities right.

linda_murphy3mo ago

That split focus is the whole problem though. You can't just flip a switch and get your brain back on track after a family emergency call. The original post shows exactly what happens when you try.