Two times, the crew responded properly to the checklist challenge
FLAPS ---- 5,5 and a green light
As mentioned earlier, in one of Delta's DFW crashes the FO responded "Fifteen, fifteen, green light" although the flaps were up for takeoff:
http://www.airdisaster.com/special/special-dl1141.shtml
The DL 1141 crew were distracted by a flight attendant chatting in the cockpit and were famously discussing F/A dating habits, mixed drinks and even whether a certain "community organizer" from Chicago was suitable to be President:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmCtJhCPEeQ
When I flew the MD83 one of our setup procedures was to advance the thrust levers prior to engine start and test the CAWS (Central Aural Warning System).
Back in the day... Yep, in the old days you rang every bell and checked every light, pushed all the instrument transfer switches, even ran the trim all the way through in both directions. As you know, in modern Boeings and Airbuses you do little of this, we don't even check fire warnings, it's a maintenance function. I guess you could push up a throttle before start these days but you'd trip off the utility busses and get a call from the back. Some of these old checks were busy work for the FE and we've gradually gone to a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" streamlined preflight.
We had a procedure where we used circuit breakers as switches. Airplane on ground for more than 3 hours or overnight we pulled "red collared" CBs. Other breakers were "yellow collared" to be pulled in non-normal situations.
The "circuit breakers as switches" has fallen out of favor with many operators as have things like closing the valve on the 02 bottle every night due to the possiblity of inducing a problem that is spring loaded to cause a mishap if the c/b or valve is not repositioned before flight.
So, was the MAD mishap due to a distracted crew with taking off with flaps up and no takeoff warning horn? I think it's looking like a very real possibility.