: This mental story kept the crew calm and focused on the essential tasks. Despite the massive damage, they successfully landed the plane in Singapore, and all 469 people on board survived. Why This Story Matters for Productivity
For more insights into these strategies, you can explore the official Smarter Faster Better page or read a detailed summary of the eight key concepts .
In his book , Charles Duhigg uses a gripping story from aviation to explain the power of mental models —the practice of telling ourselves stories about what we expect to happen. The Story of Qantas Flight 32 Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Pro...
In 2010, Captain Richard de Crespigny was piloting a Qantas Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger jet, when one of its engines exploded shortly after takeoff from Singapore. The blast sent shrapnel tearing through the wing, severing critical hydraulic lines and electrical wires. Within seconds, the cockpit was overwhelmed:
: 21 of the plane’s 22 major systems were either damaged or completely failing. : This mental story kept the crew calm
Instead of panicking over the endless list of what was broken, Captain de Crespigny did something unusual. He stopped looking at the error screens and told his co-pilots, "We need to stop focusing on what’s failed and start focusing on what’s still working". He created a new in his head:
: Hundreds of error messages flashed on the pilots' screens, creating a "cacophony" of alarms that could easily lead to cognitive tunneling —a dangerous state where a person's focus becomes so narrow they lose track of the big picture. Choosing the Right Story In his book , Charles Duhigg uses a
: By reframing the situation this way, he simplified the problem. He asked himself, "Does this 'Cessna' still have a wing? Does it still have an engine? Can I still steer it?".