Cessna 150K Safety Record

The pilot’s loss of control during visual flight rules flight in night instrument meteorological conditions due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s motivation to depart on the flight despite being made aware that conditions might be unsafe and his continuation of the flight as weather conditions deteriorated.

A partial loss of engine power due to fuel starvation caused by a fuel system blockage, and the flight instructor’s subsequent failure to maintain adequate airspeed after the loss of engine power, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and entering an aerodynamic stall at a low altitude.

The pilot's improper decision to attempt a visual flight rules flight in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an impact with mountainous terrain. A factor was the low ceiling.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY UTILIZE THE CARBURETOR HEAT TO AVOID LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO CARBURETOR ICING. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S INATTENTION AND THE ENCOUNTER OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN DURING AN OFF-AIRPORT FORCED LANDING.

THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S FAILURE TO TAKE REMEDIAL ACTION DURING STALL/SPIN TRAINING. FACTORS WERE THE INSTRUCTOR'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS PERSONAL ABILITY AND THE STUDENT'S APPREHENSION OF STALLS.

FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND INACCURATE FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO CHOOSE A PROPER EMERGENCY LANDING SITE AND/OR DEVIATE FROM A STRAIGHT COURSE DURING THE EMERGENCY DESCENT.

CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTED. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS PERSONAL ABILITIES.

INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) AND FLIGHT IN KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION BY THE CFI, HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION, AND THE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

THE PILOT'S CONFUSION AND DIVERTED ATTENTION REGARDING THE MULTIPLE BANNER RELEASE SYSTEM IN THE COCKPIT RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN INTO THE TERRAIN FROM A LOW ALTITUDE. ALSO CAUSAL WAS THE PILOT ATTEMPTING THE ABRUPT MANEUVER AT THE LOW AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE.