Wasn't it a WWII Boeing, (maybe the 17), that a senior test pilot buried himself on, prompting the wide intoduction of proper checklist usage?
That's the best-known story. The crash happened in 1935, to the 299 prototype. It's a great story. But it did not lead immediately to use of checklists. Checklists actually were in use earlier e.g. by Lindbergh; and they did not get used much outside the USAAF (and perhaps the US Navy - not as clear) until many years later. That timing is what I'm trying to track down.
Centaurus sent me a good PM on use in the RAAF, or rather non-use.