Field Notes

Case files from the research corpus

Short, standalone breakdowns of individual cases from the 65-case corpus — each one traced through a specific Fatal Five pattern.

Case File · Aviation

The Ship That Everyone Knew Was a Gamble

The Hindenburg's operator flew the airship it could fuel, not the one it wanted — and trusted two years of routine over the hazard that routine was managing.

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Case File · Construction

The Change Order Nobody Re-Calculated

A fabrication convenience doubled the load on the Hyatt Regency's walkway connections. A sign-off checked the drawing, not the physics.

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Chapter 8 Preview · Personal

The Fire That Happened Before I Was Born

Twenty minutes from where I grew up, 167 people died under a circus tent in eleven minutes. A known hazard, flagged, and normalized instead of fixed.

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