Sometimes (probably not in this accident) the checklist or its use is wrong.

In 1965 a C-141 departed Wake Island. The crew was cleared to taxi down the runway (no parallel taxi way). As per the manual, the Line up check list was accomplished upon entering the active runway. Spoilers were "Closed RTO (Rejected Take Off) and Armed." The tower asked the crew to expidite their taxi as a C-133 was on a long final. They did so and used reverse to slow down before making a 180 and a rolling take off not realizing the spoilers had deployed while in reverse.

It was night and a highly experienced crew but with low C-141 time had over 100 pax in the back. The pilot recognized something was wrong late in the roll and held it on the ground until the end of the runway then rotated. They got about 150 FPM rate of climb which wasn't bad for the pilot who came from C-124s. The copilot (an RAF Exchange officer) shoved the throttles "through" the instrument panel while the engineer shouted "you're exceeding TRT (total rated thrust). To which the Brit replied in a very clipped calm British voice. "and it will well stay there."

THe CP looked down and recognized the spoiler handle was in the down position and slamed it back up. Imagine an overpowered C-141 flat on the deck at night overwater maybe at 100' suddenly going "clean" at max power. They had a dragster on their hands.

AFter calming down and realizing their mistake, they immediately contact MATS HQ by HF. Shortly after a checklist change came out requiring the "line UP check" list be re accomplished any time reverse is used. Unfortunately another C-141 was lost in Vietnam under similar circumstances.

Distractions, non-standard operatons, weather, etc., etc. - there can be a multitude (and usually is) of factors that cause accidents like this. It had to be a "Merry Christmas" for all to walk away.