Excessive safety?
Two career lab rat, precision military systems, retired.
RE the 98% fail to perform, for what a penny or two might be worth.
It takes about 21 repetitions to develop a new habit. (Including changing a current habit to a new requirement) The 'Oh Yes I need to change that' events are part of the process of changing a habit.
In the current make everything ultra safe policy world cutting a corner most often provides a positive reward for the negative performance.
The saved time, the saved fuel, the saved cost and there is no negative consequence until well after the habit was formed.
Some learned folks in sociology are now examining have we have become so risk adverse we provide far too much positive reinforcement for negative behaviors. First time, no negative effect, second, third,... a very infrequent problem may let you run a long way on thinning ice.
On the gust lock. Not an aircraft control in this case.
NTSB stated that the gust lock was a physical external strap left attached and was visible to ground personnel as they were departing.
Fly safe.
G