Cessna Safety Record

THE PILOT INITIATED VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL AND WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE PILOT BY THE COMPANY, INADEQUATE OVERSIGHT BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, THE PILOT'S SELF-INDUCED PRESSURE TO CONDUCT THE FLIGHT, AND THE EXISTING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SNOW COVERED TERRAIN.

THE PILOT'S DECISION TO ATTEMPT VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, THE RAIN AND HIGH WIND CONDITIONS IN THE AREA.

AN INADVERTENT ENCOUNTER WITH RAIN AND ICING CONDITIONS. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT INCLUDED ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS CONSISTING OF RAIN, ICING, AND DARKNESS, AND THE PILOT'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITIES TO DEAL WITH THE ENCOUNTERED WEATHER CONDITIONS.

THE CFI FAILED TO ADEQUATELY SUPERVISE THE OPERATION. RELATED FACTORS WERE DARK NIGHT, LOST/DISORIENTATION OF THE PILOT, AND HER LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN TYPE OF OPERATION (NIGHT FLYING).

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING TAKEOFF. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ENSURE THAT THE AIRPLANE MAXIMUM GROSS TAKEOFF WEIGHT WAS NOT EXCEEDED, THE DARK NIGHT, AND RAIN.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO SEE AND AVOID THE TOWER DUE TO DRUG IMPAIRMENT. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE LOW ALTITUDE AND THE DAWN LIGHT CONDITION.

FAILURE OF THE LEFT ELEVATOR FOR UNDETERMINED REASON(S), WHICH RESULTED IN FLUTTER AND FAILURE OF THE EMPENNAGE, AND SUBSEQUENT UNCONTROLLED COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN.

THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY STALLED THE AIRPLANE NEAR THE GROUND. THE INTENTIONAL BUZZING, OVER CONFIDENCE IN HIS PERSONAL ABILITY, AND POOR INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION WERE FACTORS.

The pilots inadequate preflight planning and his failure to properly compensate for the wind. A factor was the unfavorable wind condition at the time of take off.

LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO UNDETERMINED REASONS, AND THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED DURING THE FORCED LANDING WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL.

THE PILOTS INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND HIS FAILURE TO SELECT A CRUISE ALTITUDE WHICH WOULD ENSURE ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLEARANCE DURING THE NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE MOUNTAINOUS NATURE OF THE TERRAIN AND THE DARK NIGHT LIGHT CONDITIONS

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN MINIMUM CONTROLLABLE AIRSPEED DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL AND COLLISION WITH TREES AND TERRAIN.

THE DECISION OF THE PILOT NOT TO FOLLOW INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULE PROCEDURES DURING INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND POOR PREFLIGHT PLANNING WHICH RESULTED IN OPERATION OF THE AIRPLANE OVER THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT AND REDUCED PERFORMANCE. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE FOGGY WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND HIGH TERRAIN.

THE PILOT'S DECISION TO INITIATE VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING, THE ADVERSE WEATHER, AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE TERRAIN AVOIDANCE ALTITUDE. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE DARK NIGHT AND FEATURELESS SNOW COVERED TERRAIN, BOTH WHICH CREATED A 'FEATURELESS TERRAIN ILLUSION' WHICH PROBABLY LED THE PILOT TO VISUALLY OVERESTIMATE HIS ALTITUDE.

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO USE PITOT STATIC SYSTEM COVERS DURING ICING CONDITIONS WHICH RESULTED IN A BLOCKED PITOT TUBE AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF AIRSPEED INDICATIONS. THIS LED TO PILOT DISORIENTATION AND AN INVERTANT STALL. FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE IMPROPER SNOW REMOVAL AND ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.