Cessna 177 Safety Record

The PIC's inadequate planning and preparation resulting in refueling not being performed and the subsequent fuel exhaustion and forced landing into trees. A factor in the accident was the erratic operation of the right fuel tank quantity indicating system.

The flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight and his failure to maintain an adequate airspeed and altitude margin while conducting low altitude maneuvers in an area of strong gusty winds and terrain-induced turbulence likely to contain wind shear conditions.

was the pilot's failure to have available and consult the FAA approved flight manual for performance data and, the high density altitude. Contributing to the accident were the dual magneto and spark plug system issues affecting optimum engine performance.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude over, or clearance with, mountainous terrain during night visual flight rules flight. Factors included night lighting conditions and mountainous terrain.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate obstacle clearance and his inadequate inflight decision which resulted in VFR flight in to instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot's overconfidence in his ability is a contributing factor.

continued flight by the pilot into adverse weather conditions, and his failure to maintain aircraft control, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent until impact in a lake. The adverse weather condition (thunderstorm) was a related factor.

Continued flight by the non-instrument rated pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and her failure to maintain control of the airplane, due to spatial disorientation. Related factors were the low ceiling, and the pilot's lack of instrument flight capabilities.

the pilot's attempted flight with known deficiencies in equipment, his initiating VFR flight into IMC conditions, his spatial disorientation and loss of control of the airplane. Factors were fog, dark night, and inoperative directional gyro.

the pilot's delay in aborting the landing, and his failure to attain adequate airspeed to fly out of ground effect, which resulted in a stall/mush and collision with the ground. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing, and the resultant porpoise.

the pilot's impairment of judgment and performance due to alcohol, and his failure to maintain altitude/clearance from the power transmission wires. Darkness, restricting the pilot's ability to see-and-avoid the transmission line, was a related factor.

the pilot-in-command's improper decision to take off into deteriorating weather conditions (including turbulence, gusty winds, and an advancing thunderstorm and associated precipitation) when the airplane was overweight and when the density altitude was higher than he was accustomed to, resulting in a stall caused by failure to maintain airspeed. Contributing to the pilot-in-command's decision to take off was a desire to adhere to an overly ambitious itinerary, in part, because of media commitments.

the pilot's continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain altitude and clearance from the mountainous terrain. Factors contributing to the accident were the fog, low ceilings, and downdraft.

airplane control was not maintained by the pilot during the his turn to an emergency landing area. Factors associated with this accident were the pilot not complying with the manufacturer's mandatory service bulletin, and an excessive fuel flow caused by the partial failure of the carburetor's float system.

THE PILOT'S VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS AND THE ENSUING SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S SELF-INDUCED PRESSURE TO REACH HIS DESTINATION, HIS FAILURE TO OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING FOR THE FLIGHT, AND THE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

THE PILOT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AFTER BEING ADVISED THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. THE WEATHER AND DARK NIGHT WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.

The pilot's decision to take off from a high density altitude airport at an over allowable gross weight condition. Factors in the accident were the high density altitude, down drafts, and the pilot's lack of familiarity operting from high density altitude airports.

THE PILOT EXCEEDED THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER A LOSS OF CONTROL WHICH RESULTED FROM VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS WERE THE WEATHER, THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE, AND HIS FAILURE TO UPDATE HIS WEATHER BRIEFING.

VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT(S) INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER ALTITUDE AND/OR CLEARANCE FROM TERRAIN, WHILE APPROACHING THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE LOW CEILING AND TERRAIN.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL. FACTORS WERE FOG AND DRIZZLE, AND THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S CONTINUING VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB DURING A MISSED APPROACH. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INOPERATIVE GYRO INSTRUMENTS DUE TO A BROKEN VACUUM PUMP, THE DARK NIGHT, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND RISING TERRAIN.

VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, AND THE PILOT ALLOWING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT TO BE EXCEEDED. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING, DARKNESS, AND THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDIITON.