Too casual, me thinks. I wasn't her, I wasn't there - but I know me -
If sitting on the end of the runway about to make the take-off of my life (heaviest load of fuel in my life, on a sod strip that abuts the sea at the far end - which ain't that far...) - time for care:
After a careful taxi during which I listen carefully to every creak, groan and pop the airframe can utter at me:
- CIGAR - Controls free/proper, Instruments - suction good, gyros and altimeter set - scan, Gas - ON, Attitude - set trim... and FLAPS, dumbass, Run-up - gages checked, smooth, power good
- That's a lot of gas aboard, so special check -
- Genuflection (watch, wallet, spectacles, testicals - one, two... three - OK), and
- And a big crowd, so -
- A brief aviator's prayer ("...please don't let me...")
- Make the traffic call and swivel the head to clear the area, and go.
Yes anybody can 'make a mistake' - but nah, I don't buy that - I think she was just too casual, probably almost all the time. I suspect she put a lot more into press presence and word 'bytes' than into her flying preparations and that she tended to take a lot of technical things for granted. In fact, I really think she was fairly technically ignorant - except for how to drive the plane. Tossing Hooven's RDF system for an antique to save a few pounds was just dumb, for one. So was disposing of the LF retractible antenna. I also don't think she respected a plane until it bit her, then she worked at overcoming the deficiency. I'd bet a box of donuts if she'd of survived to make another heavy take-off at Lae, she'd of used flaps because I'd also bet her butt was as puckered onto the seat cushion as mine WOULD have been on that take-off (I am well qualified to say "WOULD" with regard to my person in this instance). I'd bet on flaps at Howland, in fact, having survived a near thing at Lae.
I'm not a pro; but I don't think real pros are so casual - especially in that situation.
I don't condemn her for what I happen to believe about her - I think she was a great lady and a good flier in other respects, including some raw, gutsy ability to handle many things surprisingly well and calmly when things weren't so great. The Lae take-off is an oddly good example of just that: a lot of folks might have lost that bird on that take-off. Gutsy and well recovered - cool head and hands.