# Margin for Error - Bigger is Better?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margin-for-error-bigger-is-better/199182>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [September 2, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margin-for-error-bigger-is-better/199182 "2003-09-02T18:10:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rriggstx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@rriggstx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rriggstx)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margin-for-error-bigger-is-better/199182/1 "2003-09-02T18:10:12Z")

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In the article regarding rolling a 747 ([http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_262.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_262.html)),

Cecil states:

> [@](#):
>
> But in a larger plane that takes longer to roll, the margin for error is increased,

I always thought that it was the “small margin for error” that put you at risk. In other words, there was very little room in the margins for you to miss the target.

As I read the passage, wouldn’t the margin for error \*decrease, \*meaning that you had little room to screw up and still recover?

But really, I could care less which way is correct… (doh!)

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**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margin-for-error-bigger-is-better/199182/2 "2003-09-03T05:14:46Z")

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I’m with you; I reckon he meant to say “the chance of error is increased”.

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**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margin-for-error-bigger-is-better/199182/3 "2003-09-08T23:24:42Z")

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Right. Large margin for error = small consequence for a small screwup. Cecil clearly meant to say that the margin for error is smaller with a larger plane (this is certainly the case).