Incredibly Expensive Mistakes Caused by Human Error

A newbie at anything is allowed a certain margin of error because mistakes are seen as part of the learning process. How are we supposed to get really good at something without messing it up a few times? Since nobody is perfect, it’s understood that you let a few things slide.

Underground garages are a great way to park your cars, save space, and give your home a high-tech feel. However, they don’t always work. This garage lifter is part of a two-story design that malfunctioned when its electronic controls were submerged in a flood. The result? Not too pretty.

The average yacht can cost close to a million dollars, and that’s just the start of an owner’s expenses. That’s why some say it may not be worth owning one. The maintenance costs are worth ruminating over a bit before deciding to finally purchase one.

If you look at the picture below, you’ll see American fighter jets stationed at the base hangar. Although it might seem like they’re covered in clouds, that’s not the case. It’s not enemy fire that they are vulnerable against here, but fire fighting foam that accidentally released from its canisters.

Building a space satellite takes quite a long time. The planning stage alone can take several years, and then there’s the actual building stage itself – another year, at least. Power systems need to be determined, communication systems put up, and all the nuts and bolts have to be drilled in just right. Then, the test launch comes.

This is what happens when drivers decide to speed up and become reckless. It’s as if they think they’re living in a movie where every vehicle on the highway speeds along to the tune of their own loud music.

An all-terrain Mercedes-Benz SUV is expensive yet reliable. It’s a comfortable luxury vehicle. But owners shouldn’t exaggerate its all-terrain description to mean it can fight its way out of a bog, or in this case, a wet shoreline that keeps sucking it in.

The owners of the home below were in for quite a surprise when they found out that their lovely abode had been split in half like a poorly sliced birthday cake. Nearly everyone around seemed perplexed by what happened.

Curiosity killed the cat, as they say. If you replace “cat” with “jet,” then that’s a fair summary of what happened below. It all started with a curious aircraft technician who decided to tinker a bit on sensitive military hardware. This caused the M61 Gatling cannon to activate. 

Traveling by cruise liner is a fun and convenient way to explore the world. Alongside relaxing at the pool and enjoying delicious buffets, there are plenty of other onboard activities – zip lines, ice skating, and even Broadway shows!

This submarine was designed by the Spanish government back in 2013. The massive ship cost a whopping $2.2 billion and was meant to be a crown jewel of underwater crafts.

This road construction project, run by workers that lacked the necessary engineering experience, ended up excavating underground data cables. The drill dug up important wires that were meant to bring internet connection to the whole neighborhood.

Data servers are designed to make the lives of employees who need constant access to vital information easier. These servers can increase productivity and, despite the high cost of maintenance, companies are happy to know their data is secure.

Most of us probably wouldn’t park our cars in the wet sand on the beach because we can imagine what might happen. However, one driver in New Zealand did not quite have that foresight when he parked his car near the water.

The freeway below is crucial to the progress of Taiwan. It links together with other major cities so that vehicles can bypass congested roads and businesses can run smoothly. However, this landslide blocked the freeway on both sides, causing millions of dollars of damage.

Driving down the freeway might feel like a plane taking off from the runway if you have a fast sports car. That jet-like sound of the engine revving can be too addictive to take it easy. However, as we saw from the expensive car accident below, that can lead to all kinds of trouble.

During his first day as a wine steward, the unimaginable happened. Before the customers came in and the workday began, a seventy-six-year-old bottle of wine slipped off his hands and nosedived to the floor like an aerial bomb.

This skyscraper in London is commonly referred to as the “Walkie Talkie”, and while the architecture is fascinating, the building hit headlines for a less than favorable reason.

Pickup trucks are designed to be sturdy. Unlike smaller cars, they don’t get damaged easily and can handle difficult terrain with plenty of muscle power. So, when some people look at the image below, they assume the mechanic in charge had intentionally planned on splitting up the vehicle.

The passengers on board the ship were probably looking outside the boxy windows and marveling at the waters below. It had been a pleasant trip. But the captain in charge was indifferent to all that and instead, focused on finishing the journey rather than enjoying it.

The operator of this concrete had completely miscalculated the distance between the truck and the car parked behind it. He was relying solely on the side mirror rather than having assistance or going out to double-check. When the concrete was poured out, it hit more than the road.

This priceless piece of artwork was destroyed in a restoration mystery that saddened the entire art community. The piece is called the “Ecce Homo” had been sent in to be restored and what they got in return was a disaster.

The driver of this cool, classic automobile failed to take a cue from the legendary James Bond. Instead of remaining calm in the face of adversity, the driver got a bit too nervous at how fast the car was going and ended up swerving this vintage Aston Martin into a traffic pole.

The one-of-a-kind piano below had four pedals installed in it. On her best days, the proud owner felt like all her worries were gone as she got lost playing all the carefully crafted keys. It was almost like she was floating above the world.

It’s hard to believe that an MRI technician could forget that the $5 million machine is like a magnetic vortex that causes protons in a person’s body to align.

We imagine that whoever made this costly mistake was promptly let go from their position. Most airline companies protect their planes from fire by installing a fire foam system that will put the flames to bed quickly.

This entire apartment complex in China fell onto its side in 2009. Developers were in the middle of building the complex when it completely gave out.

Expensive cars are quite easy to love. The Porsche below quickly found its way into the owner’s heart, bypassing other valuable things like family, friends, and the owner’s own dog. The last one didn’t take that too kindly. Dogs might be loyal, but only if they’re shown loyalty in return.

Unfortunately, this massive $108 million mistake was completely avoidable. The enormous vessel struck a reef at full speed which caused the cargo spill.

One part of whitewater rafting and kayaking is learning how to ride the rapids. Another part is finding your way around different obstacles like boulders and sticks – or, as in the case below, airplane fuselages.

This bridge in Italy went down in 2020 after standing proudly for 111 years. Apparently, it was badly damaged during World War II and years of repair went into it after that.

At first, it might appear that mother nature caused the damage below, that no one is to blame for these pierced solar panels. But alas, it seems that human error was at play. What a waste to see these environment-friendly devices ruined by the sun – the very thing they were designed to use as energy. Could something have been done to avoid this from happening?

It seems that one of the airplane staff members wasn’t mindful of safety protocols when they were moving around the aircraft to prepare for incoming passengers. Although they might have been rushed, that still doesn’t excuse what happened below.

We can’t quite decide which is worse, the cost of this mistake or the cost of what was lost to history! This historic statue was to be restored and the end product is horrifying.

The wine collector below had a beautiful collection of wines from all over the world. Nearly all of the money spent on this collection went into the wine bottles themselves. Whatever was left over went to building a budget wine rack that was meant to hold them all in place.

The great Northeast Blackout was one that was hard to forget. In 1965 30 million people were suddenly left in utter darkness.

The pandemic brought along many outdoor restrictions, so lots of people found it more appealing to invest in indoor activities. These can range from sprucing up your home office with all the latest gadgets to creating an elaborate “man cave” in the basement.

Excavators ought to be able to remove objects that are stuck in the loose ground, but this one finds itself as the object of concern. Although designed to operate in all types of terrain, it still has its limits. The operator failed to check on those parameters beforehand.

“It’s not about what you have, but how you use it.” When the owner of a $300,000 speedboat noticed his craft sinking, he didn’t panic. After a few attempts to keep the boat afloat, he decided it was time to call in his own army.

The bills we use in our everyday transactions are vessels for bacteria and viruses. In pandemic times, people are extra careful about that. However, this person took it a bit too far in using a microwave to disinfect Canadian banknotes.

Fans of the Back to the Future series will remember the famous DeLorean that Marty and Doc used to go back and forth in spacetime. Although it’s a magnificent car, there’s only so much it can take. The real-life DeLorean below seems to have found its final resting place.

That carefree attitude of being trigger-happy and firing weapons out in the open can prove costly – not only to people and animals but to property as well. Some people think that the bullets they fire upwards are never going to make it back to earth.

As you’re waiting for departure at the airport and looking down the tarmac, everything may seem to be systematic. However, these ground operations actually involve a certain degree of risk, and accidents are not uncommon.

People gawk at the sight of a raised dump truck bed damaging the front section of a building. How did it happen? Maybe the operator thought that the bed was already lowered before trying to move out, or perhaps the bed began to rise all by itself as the driver was leaving.

The pandemic has meant that city streets have been uncharacteristically empty. This has been irresistible to some drivers – specifically, drivers of luxury sports cars. With no one on the road, they can’t resist the urge to play with their expensive cars. They must feel like demigods.

In war-torn areas, a scene like this is usually assumed to involve heavy gunfire. Soldiers would run for cover behind tanks and armored personnel carriers to return fire while looking for possible snipers in the hills. The cause of this damage, as the report shows, was not as dramatic.

It is not clear what caused the fire at this whisky distillery, but it was most likely some kind of adverse chemical reaction. The flames grew quickly because there were thousands of whiskey barrels stacked on top of each other inside the facility. Some even exploded.

Residents of this small subdivision had no idea how much danger they were exposed to on a daily basis. Not one of them had an inkling that they were living on top of an abandoned mine that may collapse at any time.

A large dent on the side of the BMW SUV proves that the vehicle had been sideswiped by another. This caused it to crash against a parked McLaren sports car, side pocketing it against the dealership office with more cars inside.

Often it’s better to pay a bit more and go with certified mechanics than to take a chance on unproven amateurs. The owner of this car found that out the hard way. While driving back home, a new sound came from the engine – one completely unrelated to the original issue.

When handling extremely valuable property, like this $72 million superyacht, there should be no room for experimenting amateurs. This is not the time to try your hand at something fun – it’s a serious job that calls for only the best professionals out there.