Cessna Safety Record

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO OBTAIN AND/OR MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED DURING TAKEOFF, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL AND COLLISION WITH THE GROUND. FACTORS WERE: THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES/DIRECTIVES, HIS OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH EXCESSIVE GROSS WEIGHT, AND HIS LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE AS A PILOT.

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ADEQUATELY EVALUATE THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS WHICH RESULTED IN THE PILOT BECOMING LOST AND DISORIENTED. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF TOTAL AERONAUTICAL EXPERIENCE AND FUEL EXHAUSTION.

THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S IMPROPER SUPERVISION OF THE FLIGHT TO CORRECT THE STUDENT PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS RESULTING IN AN EXCESSIVE ANGLE OF ATTACK AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER AIRSPEED. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN.

POOR MAINTENANCE REPAIR AND ANNUAL INSPECTION BY THE COMPANY'S MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S MISJUDGING ALTITUDE. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND INTENTIONAL STALL, IMPROPER EMERGENCY PROCEDURE, SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

THE PILOT DID NOT FOLLOW THE PUBLISHED IFR PROCEDURES AND ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO DESCEND TO AN ALTITUDE INSUFFICIENT TO CLEAR THE TERRAIN. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S APPREHENSION DUE TO THE LOW FUEL STATE, THE DARK NIGHT, ADVERSE WEATHER, AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER DECISION TO FLY INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, AND HIS IMPAIRMENT OF JUDGEMENT DUE TO DRUGS. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE DARK NIGHT, THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT FLYING EXPERIENCE, AND HIS OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS FLYING ABILITY.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED DURING LOW ALTITUDE MANEUVERS AS A RESULT OF HIS PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT DUE TO ALCOHOL AND DRUGS. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S POOR JUDGEMENT IN BUZZING HIS WORK LOCALE, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ALTITUDE.

POOR INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION. FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: ICING CONDITIONS, DARK NIGHT, FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER AND AN INADEQUATE WEATHER EVALUATION.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S IN FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN NIGHT FLIGHT, AND THE LACK OF NATURAL HORIZON OR SURFACE REFERENCE WHILE FLYING OVER A SPARSELY POPULATED AREA ON A DARK NIGHT.

THE PILOT'S DELAY IN REVERSING DIRECTION, HIS CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED AND INADVERTENT STALL WHILE MANEUVERING TO REVERSE DIRECTION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT CONSISTED OF LOW CEILINGS, SNOW, AND ICING CONDITIONS.

PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S IMPROPER INFLIGHT DECISION TO ATTEMPT TO DESCEND AND REMAIN IN VFR CONDITIONS IN AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S LOSS OF CONTROL IN FLIGHT.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO ASSURE THAT AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL WAS ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE FOR THE INTENDED FLIGHT, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED DURING THE FORCED LANDING RESULTING IN A STALL/SPIN. A FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN A CESSNA 140.

THE PILOT'S CONTINUATION OF VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS RESULTING IN SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN AN ADEQUATE WEATHER BRIEFING BEFORE FLIGHT.

FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE TURBOCHARGER'S TURBINE SHAFT DUE TO INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE, AND THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION AFTER EXPERIENCING A TURBOCHARGER FAILURE. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE LACK OF INFORMATION IN THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK CONCERNING TURBOCHARGER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.

THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE WEATHER EVALUATION, AND HIS CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FACTORS WERE: THE IMPROPER WEATHER BRIEFING BY A FLIGHT SERVICE STATION SPECIALIST, AND LEVEL III THUNDERSTORMS.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING AND TO PROPERLY EVALUATE THE EXISTING WEATHER CONDITIONS PRIOR TO FLIGHT, AND 2) REPORTED UNFAVORABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS, INCLUDING TURBULENCE, SNOW, RAIN, AND OBSCURATION AT FLIGHT ALTITUDES ALONG THE PILOT'S ROUTE OF FLIGHT.

THE PILOT IN COMMANDS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED ABOVE SINGLE ENGINE MINIMUM CONTROL SPEED RESULTING IN AN INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL AND COLLISION WITH TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND REQUEST PRIORITY LANDING AND HIS DECISION TO FOLLOW A SLOWER AIRCRAFT IN THE PATTERN.