Cessna 172 Safety Record

THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN DURING LOW ALTITUDE MANEUVERS. RELATED FACTORS ARE GROUND PERSONNEL'S INADEQUATE TRAFFIC ADVISORY, AND THE PILOT'S ABRUPT PULL UP.

SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT ARE FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEF, VRF FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS AND LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION, HIS ATTEMPTED VFR FLIGHT INTO IFR CONDITIONS, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER ALTITUDE. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE FOGGY, LOW CEILING CONDITIONS ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE AFTER ENCOUNTERING ADVERSE WEATHER AT LOW ALTITUDE. THE ADVERSE WEATHER (FOG) WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO OPEN CIRCUITS IN THE IGNITION WIRING HARNESS, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN FLYING AIRSPEED DURING THE FORCED LANDING ATTEMPT. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE THE DARK NIGHT LIGHTING CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

THE PILOT OF THE AIRPLANE EXCEEDING THE CERTIFICATED NEVER EXCEED VELOCITY. THE OVERLOADING OF THE WING ATTACHMENT FITTINGS WHILE MANEUVERING WAS A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.

VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE AND/OR CLEAREANCE FROM THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND THE ADVERSE WEATHER AND TERRAIN CONDITIONS.

VFR FLIGHT BY THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE AND/OR CLEARANCE FROM THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND THE ADVERSE WEATHER AND TERRAIN CONDITIONS.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN PROPER AIRSPEED BEFORE TAKEOFF. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE BINDING BRAKE, THE UPHILL GRASS AIRSTRIP, THE TAIL WIND WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE IMPROPER ANNUAL INSPECTION THAT WAS JUST COMPLETED ON THE AIRCRAFT.

THE IMPROPER FLIGHT PLANNING BY THE NONINSTRUMENT RATED PILOT WHICH RESULTED IN HIS INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

THE PILOT ROTATED THE AIRPLANE AT AN IMPROPER SPEED, THEN ALLOWED THE CLIMB ANGLE TO BECOME TOO STEEP, CAUSING AN INADVERTENT STALL AT TOO LOW AN ALTITUDE TO ALLOW RECOVERY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE; THE PILOT FAILED TO USE ALL OF THE AVAILABLE RUNWAY; AND THE PILOT'S LOW TIME AND TOTAL LACK OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS RELATED TO THE PILOT'S IMPROPER VFR PROCEDURES AND HIS MISJUDGED EVALUATION OF THE WEATHER IN DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS. ADDITIONAL FACTORS RELATED TO THE PRESENCE OF LOW CLOUDS AND TO THE RESTRICTED VISIBILITY.

THE PILOT'S CONTINUATION OF VISUAL FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WHICH RESULTED IN SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING BEFORE DEPARTURE, THE ADVERSE WEATHER AND LIGHT CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT FLYING EXPERIENCE.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING WERE THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S MISUSE OF FLAPS AND HIS LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN THIS TYPE OF OPERATION.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE WITH AN OBSTACLE. CONTRIBUTING WAS AN UNMARKED POWERLINE AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA.