Worldpilot illustrates nicely why the 'checklist mindset' is an atedote to flight safety other than in complex multi-crew challenge-response scenarios.
Neither of those incidents say to me "he should have used a check list"; they say "he should have engaged his brain". Spanner - take note... and BTW, this:
Not using checklists can only serve to reduce safety rather than enhance it.
is total earwash.
Aeroplanes have thousands of ways to kill you. If you can devise a checklist that covers you against every one of those ways, good luck in implementing it. Me? I have a simpler, and far safer maxim: when dealing with aeroplanes, THINK! Think very carefully about what you are about to do, about what you are doing, and about what you just did. Observe carefully, and think again. Then think some more.
It's called airmanship and you won't find it on any checklist.
If you can't do that, go take up golf instead; this flying business ain't for you. The aeroplane will kill you with something your precious checklist didn't cover.
Oh, I just remembered. The Tiger Club used to (maybe still does) have an excellent cover-all checklist on the panel of all its aeroplanes. It said "All aeroplanes bite fools".