Cessna Safety Record

IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT CLEARANCE ABOVE THE GROUND. THE TAILWIND, HIGH OBSTRUCTION (SHELTER BELT), AND DOWNDRAFT WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

THE IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND RESULTING IN THE AIRPLANE FUEL QUANTITY BEING NEAR THE UNUSABLE QUANTITY WHICH RESULTED IN TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL STARVATION WHILE MANEUVERING. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOTS MISJUDGED APPROACH DURING A FORCED LANDING RESULTING IN COLLISION WITH TREES.

POOR JUDGEMENT OF THE PILOT DUE TO PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT FROM CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL, HIS INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER, AND HIS INADEQUATE CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTED.

INADEQUATE IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISIONS BY NOT IDENTIFYING THE WIND DIRECTION ALONG WITH THE FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE TAILWIND, WIRES AND TREES.

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION, DUE TO AN INADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: SOFT TERRAIN IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.

PILOT'S DECISION TO DISCONTINUE THE USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT, IN CARBURETOR ICING CONDITIONS, THAT LED TO A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AT AN ALTITUDE INSUFFICIENT FOR A SAFE LANDING ON THE AIRPORT.

INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS BY THE PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN RUNWAY ALIGNMENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE WIND CONDITIONS, HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, AND TREES.

THE PILOT'S INPROPER RECOVERY FROM A BOUNCED LANDING WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOTS OVERCONFIDENCE IN PERSONAL ABILITY, THE GUSTY CROSSWIND CONDITIONS AND THE SUNGLARE.

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO OBTAIN WIND INFORMATION BEFORE LANDING. FACTORS RELATING TO THIS ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

A DETERIORATED FUEL CAP, WATER CONTAMINATION OF THE FUEL, AND THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE DIRT BANK (BERM).

FUEL CONTAMINATION FROM A DETERIORATING PART IN THE CARBURETOR. THE TREES AND IMPROPER MAINTENANCE/SERVICING OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE PROBABLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT BY ATTEMPTING TO TAKEOFF FROM AN UNSUITABLE FIELD AND HIS DELAY IN ABORTING THE TAKEOFF. THE TERRAIN CONDITIONS AND FENCE WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER RUNWAY ALIGNMENT, WHILE ABORTING A BOUNCED LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S IMPROPER FLARE AND LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRCRAFT, THE RIGHT CROSSWIND, AND THE PROXIMITY OF TREES.

ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO OIL STARVATION AND COLLISION WITH TERRAIN DURING THE FORCED LANDING. THE OIL STARVATION WAS CAUSED BY THE OIL LEAKING OUT OF THE DRAIN BECAUSE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL FAILED TO INSTALL THE DRAIN PLUG.

FAILURE OF THE NUMBER THREE EXHAUST VALVE ON THE LEFT ENGINE. A MAJOR FACTOR WAS THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE WHERE THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT OPERATE ON SINGLE ENGINE.

THE PILOT FAILED TO COMPENSATE FOR WIND CONDITIONS DURING THE LANDING ROLL. THE CROSSWIND WAS CONSIDERED AS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. AN UNDERLYING FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN PERFORMING CROSSWIND LANDINGS IN THE CESSNA 180.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT DEVELOPING FULL POWER AND THE DELAY IN PERFORMING REMEDIAL ACTION UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE TO STOP THE AIRPLANE ON THE RUNWAY.

INADEQUATE PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE FAULTY READING FROM THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR.

INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT AND HIS MISCALCULATION OF FUEL, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION FROM LACK OF FUEL; AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO SEE-AND-AVOID THE POWER LINES DURING THE FORCED LANDING. THE POWER LINES WERE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER BY THE STUDENT PILOT, AND HIS INADVERTENT DESCENT INTO THE TERRAIN. THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITION WAS A RELATED FACTOR.