Cessna Safety Record

A total loss of engine power due to carburetor ice as a result of the pilot’s failure to effectively use carburetor heat in conditions conducive to the formation of carburetor ice.

The pilot’s failure to perform a preflight weight and balance calculation and his operation of the flight at an excessive takeoff weight, resulting in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack after liftoff and an aerodynamic stall from which the pilot was unable to recover.

The private pilot’s loss of control in flight, which resulted in a collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot’s decision to obtain flight instruction from the private pilot and the private pilot's insufficient qualifications to fly or to provide flight instruction in a multi-engine airplane.

The pilot’s loss of airplane control while troubleshooting a landing gear issue, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin at an altitude too low to recover. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment from alcohol consumption.

The pilot’s failure to maintain altitude during an instrument approach, which resulted in a descent below the approach path and impact with a vent stack. Also causal was the failure of the processing plant to correctly paint the vent stacks, which had been determined by the FAA to be a hazard to navigation due to their proximity to the landing approach path. Contributing to the accident was the likely distraction/illusion/obscuration created by steam from the processing plant, which intermittently obscured the runway.

The pilot’s improper decision to continue the visual-flight-rules flight into low visibility conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.

The pilot’s delay in initiating a go-around and his failure to maintain airplane control during the initial climb, which resulted in the exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall.

The pilot’s deviation from the final approach course during a night instrument approach with low instrument meterological conditions, which resulted in an impact with heavily wooded terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to continue the approach after being warned of his flightpath deviations and his lack of experience in instrument conditions at night.

The pilot’s impairment due to exposure to carbon monoxide as a result of undetected engine exhaust penetration into the cockpit, resulting in the pilot's failure to maintain a minimum controllable airspeed after partially securing an engine after takeoff.