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The 1 in 60 Rule

Writer's picture: Tommy SangchompuphenTommy Sangchompuphen

The Mount Erebus disaster occurred in 1979 when Air New Zealand Flight TE-901 flew into Mount Erebus on Ross Island, Antarctica, killing all 237 passengers and 20 crew on board.


The flight was supposed to be an 11-hour nonstop roundtrip sightseeing tour from Auckland to Antarctica. Instead, the disaster remains New Zealand’s worst peacetime disaster.

Photo credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Erebus

The root cause of the crash was a 2-degree change in the flight coordinates which, over the course of the 11-hour flight, placed the aircraft 28 miles to the east of where the pilots assumed they were.


Two degrees is a tiny margin of error. But being slightly off in the beginning can lead to significant deviations in the end.


This is why every pilot is taught the 1 in 60 rule, which states that if your initial heading is off by just one degree, after 60 miles you will be one mile off course. The 1 in 60 rule reminds pilots to regularly check and correct their heading. Pilots who fail to do so often or accurately may find themselves a long way from their intended destination, sometimes with potentially disastrous consequences.


Why is the 1 in 60 rule important when it comes to bar prep?


For some of you, you’re already deep into your summer bar studying, perhaps hitting your stride. For others, you might be starting in earnest this week.


Whether you’re in Week 1 or 2 or 3 of your summer bar prep, it’s important to recognize very early on—there’s only about 70 days until the bar exam!—if or when you drift off course from the study plan.


It’s tempting to think that a few degrees’ drift is no big deal. But left uncorrected, you might find yourself continuing on a course that eventually reaches an end point that’s pretty far from your intended destination. And if you discover the drift too late, you might find it’s too late to get back on course. This could mean the difference between passing and failing the bar exam.


So as you’re preparing for the bar exam, make sure you consistently monitor your progress so that you end up at your intended destination. And do so early on.

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© 2024 by Tommy Sangchompuphen. 

The content on this blog reflects my personal views and experiences and do not represent the views or opinions of any other individual, organization, or institution. It is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Readers should not act or refrain from acting based on any information contained in this blog without seeking appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue.

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