Link by Link

This accident chain was long, and breaking it was hard

The accident chain, like most, was as obvious in retrospect as it was elusive at the time. Consider these links:

Link 1: The pilot and his four passengers absolutely, positively had to be at the destination, 300 miles away, by early the next morning. There was an event that could not be missed, even if it meant driving. A short weather delay would be OK, but a substantial one would not.

Link 2: The pilot had had a stressful week, with both professional and personal anxiety and bouts of poor sleep.

Link 3: He had gone out with friends the night before the anticipated flight, returning home well after midnight and facing an early wakeup call.

Link 4: Th...