Cesna 421 Crew Leadership

The following events describe an occupational dilemma that staunchly tested my decision-making skills as a leader. In the middle of the scorching South Florida summer of 2013, I was assigned crew leader to tackle the day-to-day job tasks at D.S. Aviation Services in North Perry Airport. The crew consisted of three technicians, Matt, Pablo, and Jonathan, all of whom I had met in school and developed a two-year personal bond with. We were recently hired and placed under a three-month probation period. On this faithful day, the crew was assigned to assemble & rig flight-control surfaces (allow the pilot to control and maneuver the plane in flight) of a Cessna 421. Matt was assigned to the left wing to adjust the ailerons (allow lateral movement control; left and right).

Matt, struggling to measure the cable tension through the provided inspection hole on the underside of the wing, inadvertently dropped the tensiometer on the concrete floor. The internal mechanism of the apparatus immediately shattered. The earsplitting sound of the metal imploding clinched our attention. Pablo and I looked at each other and knew Matt’s blunder had carved his destiny. Workplace protocol called for the immediate report of any accidents or incidents. I was required to report Matt as the principal agent at fault, I knew our bond and family ties would disintegrate. Nonetheless, I was faced with a complicated decision, either the crew and I are terminated or Matt. The unforeseen circumstances created an internal dilemma for my persona, the decision was unavoidable. I pondered and paced nervously throughout the day, tormented by the thought of Matt’s fate,