Cessna P210N Safety Record

improper maintenance which led to oil starvation due to a inadequately tightened B-nut in an oil line. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.

the pilot's continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions during dark nighttime over mountainous terrain; and his failure to maintain an adequate altitude to ensure terrain clearance. Thw weather and terrain were factors.

fatigue and subsequent catastrophic failure of the connecting rod originating from the decarburized area on the shank of the rod. Factors were the low cloud weather condition and the ditch.

THE PILOT DID NOT ALIGN THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE RUNWAY. FACTORS WERE THE DUSK LIGHT CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ACTIVATE THE PILOT CONTROLLED RUNWAY LIGHTS.

An undetermined failure of the engine crankshaft resulting in total loss of engine power. The terrain at the emergency landing site and nighttime darkness were contributing factors.

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB DURING THE NIGHT TAKEOFF. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: LACK OF VISUAL CUES, THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE DARK NIGHT.

the pilot's improper aircraft preflight inspection, and his failure to use pitot heat during the takeoff in icing conditions, which led to a blocked pitot tube. The blockage resulted in erroneous airspeed indications during the initial climb, which induced the pilot to reduce the aircraft pitch attitude to a point where the aircraft entered an uncorrected descent to ground impact.

the pilot's poor decision to continue flying the airplane with a known deficiency and the poorly performed major overhaul of the engine. The failed crankshaft due to fatigue are factors in this accident.

THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT STALL AND DESCENT INTO TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING. RELATED FACTORS ARE THE MANUFACTURER'S UNDERTORQUED CRANKCASE HALVES AND INADEQUATE SURVEILLANCE, THE PILOT'S DELAY IN SETTING UP THE PROPER DESCENT RATE, AND THE ALTERED AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE WITH THE SEPARATED PROPELLER ASSEMBLY.

1) A PARTIAL LOSS OF THE AIRPLANE'S VACUUM SYSTEM WHICH RESULTED IN THE TOTAL LOSS OF THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO AND THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR, 2) THE PILOT NOT MAINTAINING AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, AND 3) THE PILOT NOT CORRECTING FOR A SPIRAL BY USING PROPER RECOVERY TECHNIQUES WHICH RESULTED IN THE OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE WINGS. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL INSTURMENT FLIGHT EXPEREINCE.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM TREES DURING AN APPROACH FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. HIS IMPROPER USE OF THE MIXTURE CONTROL WAS A RELATED FACTOR CONCERNING THE PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.

LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT DISPLAYED POOR INFLIGHT PLANNING BY NOT ADEQUATELY FOLLOWING PROCEDURES OR DIRECTIVES ASSOCIATED WITH FUEL CONSUMPTION.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF POWEROLANT CONTROLS WHICH RESULTED IN AN EXCESSIVE RICH MIXTURE AND POWER LOSS. IN ADDITION, THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED DURING THE FORCED LANDING.

THE PILOT'S MISMANAGEMENT OF THE AVAILABLE FUEL SUPPLY WHICH RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS NOT POSITIONED TO THE TANK WHICH CONTAINED FUEL. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR(S) WAS: THE ROUGH TERRAIN ENCOUNTERED DURING THE FORCED LANDING.

AN UNDERTORQUED OIL LINE FITTING, DUE TO ITS IMPROPER INSTALLATION BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOOSE OIL LINE FITTING, AN OIL LINE LEAK, OIL EXHAUSTION, AND SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF THE ENGINE.