I like the thought put to me by a very experienced and respected management checkie during a line check on the old Boeing three-holer many years ago ... "Lad", he suggested, "Lad, the Ops Manual omits a very important note on page one .. and that is to read it with a modicum of commonsense ...". Eventually, experience taught me the meaning of his words .. viz., if things are going fine, then one ought to stick with the words of wisdom to minimise angst and excitement .. but, when it gets decidedly pear shaped, there may be a reasonable need to be innovative to the extent necessary to fill in the gaps in the SOPs on the occasion .. seemed a pretty reasonable philosophy to me. It also follows that
(a) a well developed general and specific technical knowledge
(b) a high level of manipulative skill, and
(c) a cool head ...
can help out at such times ... I commend to your reading the example of the crew on United 232 some years ago at Sioux City as a singular example of these matters ...
As an aside, this chap was quite remarkable .. an exceptionally capable pilot, gifted musician, near photographic memory recall .. etc., etc. .. and a thoroughly pleasant and affable sort of joker. The sort of fellow who made not a bad role model for young chaps coming up through the ranks.