Cessna Safety Record

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO PLAN AND CONDUCT HIS DEPARTURE FLIGHT TO AVOID HIGH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, DURING WHICH THE PILOT BECAME LOST/DISORIENTED. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS SELF INDUCED PRESSURE TO DEPART BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF A SNOW STORM.

THE PILOT BECAME SPATIALLY DISORIENTED AND LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AS HE TURNED AWAY FROM GROUND LIGHTS TOWARD UNLIGHTED TERRAIN. THE CLOUDS, FOG, AND DARK NIGHT CONDITION WERE FACTORS.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A VISUAL LOOKOUT TO AVOID A WIRE STRIKE. FACTORS WERE THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S INTENTIONAL LOW LEVEL FLIGHT, HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE, AND THE TRANSMISSION WIRES.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT, WHICH RESULTED IN THE FORMATION OF CARBURETOR ICE AND A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING IN TREES.

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ALTITUDE ABOVE THE GROUND TO RECOVER FROM AN INADVERTENT STALL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S HANDLING OF THE AIRCRAFT SPECIFICALLY AN EXCESSIVE ANGLE OF ATTACK WHICH RESULTED IN REDUCED AIRSPEED AND SUBSEQUENT STALL.

THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION AND HIS ATTEMPT TO FLY VFR THROUGH IMC CONDITIONS. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE SNOW, WHITEOUT CONDITIONS, AND DARKNESS.

FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL BY THE PILOT IN COMMND. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT ARE THE PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER, A BLOCKED PITOT STATIC SYSTEM, LACK OF TOTAL EXPEREINCE IN TYPE OF OPERATION, AND LACK OF TOTAL EXPEREINCE IN TYPE OF AIRCRAFT.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. FACTORS WERE THE DARK NIGHT, PILOT'S APPREHENSION, PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, POOR INSTRUMENT LOCATION, VISUAL PERCEPTION AND INADEQUATE COCKPIT LIGHTING.

AN INADVERTENT STALL WHILE MANEUVERING FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. FACTORS INCLUDE A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS, AND INADEQUATE ALTITUDE FOR THE MANEUVER.

PILOT FACTOR IN THAT HE HAD SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT ARE; VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC, DISREGARDING HAZARDOUS WEATHER ADVISORIES, PERFORMING FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND OVERCONFIDENCE IN PERSONAL ABILITY BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND.

THE PILOTS FAILURE TO FOLLOW INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES PROCEDURES BY DISREGARDING THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE FOR THE APPROACH AND FAILING TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM THE TERRAIN. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S OVER CONFIDENCE IN HIS PERSONAL ABILITY.

THE LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AS RESULT OF THE VELOCITY MINIMUM CONTROL AIRSPEED NOT BEING MAINTAINED. A FACTOR WAS THAT THE MANEUVER WAS INITIATED AT AN INADEQUATE ALTITUDE TOO LOW FOR THE PILOT TO RECOVER.

THE LOSS OF POWER ON THE RIGHT ENGINE DURING INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF DUE TO INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE INSPECTION AND ADJUSTMENT OF THE ENGINE BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, AND THE LOSS OF CONTROL BY THE PILOT DUE TO HIS FAILURE TO PROPERLY CONFIGURE THE AIRCRAFT AND PERFORM A PROPER SINGLE ENGINE CLIMB MANEUVER, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SINGLE ENGINE CLIMB AIRSPEED. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE DARK NIGHT LIGHT CONDITIONS.

1) THE PILOT INADEQUATELY EVALUATING THE WEATHER, AND 2) THE PILOT MAKING THE INFLIGHT DECISION TO CONTINUE FLIGHT INTO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE 1) THE INABILITY OF THE PILOT TO SEE THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN DUE TO THE AMBIENT LIGHT CONDITIONS AND OBSCURATIONS, AND 2) THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT FLYING EXPERIENCE.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER EXECUTION OF AN EMERGENCY PROCEDURE, AFTER AN ENGINE FAILURE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF AIRPLANE CONTROL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S IMPROPER MANAGEMENT OF THE FUEL SYSTEM; THE PILOT'S LACK OF PROFICIENCY IN EMERGENCY PROCEDURE; AND THE FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A SAFE ALTITUDE ABOVE THE GROUND DURING AN INTENTIONAL LOW ALTITUDE FLIGHT IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS RELATED TO THE PILOT BECOMING DISTRACTED WHILE FLYING OVER THE GROUND AND TO HIS FAILURE TO INITIATE A CLIMB OR TAKE OTHER CORRECTIVE ACTION BY ALTERING HIS COURSE IN A TIMELY MANNER TO AVOID COLLIDING WITH THE MOUNTAIN.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE DURING A LOW PASS AT NIGHT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S LIKELY SPATIAL DISORIENTATION DUE TO THE LACK OF SURFACE VISUAL CLUES, THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS, AND THE PATCHY FOG CONDITIONS.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY UTILIZE THE CARBURETOR HEAT TO AVOID LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO CARBURETOR ICING. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S INATTENTION AND THE ENCOUNTER OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN DURING AN OFF-AIRPORT FORCED LANDING.

THE PILOTS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER DESCENT RATE AND TO ADEQUATELY JUDGE THE ABOVE GROUND ALTITUDE OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE APPROACH. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS, 2) THE PILOT'S DEGRADED VISUAL PERCEPTIVE ABILITY, AND 3) THE FAILURE OF THE FAA TO DISSEMINATE THE AIRPORT ELEVATION CHANGE INFORMATION IN A TIMELY MANNER.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER EMERGENCY PROCEDURES BY NOT RETRACTING THE LANDING GEAR WHEN HE SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED. THE SCAVENGE PUMP FAILURE, SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINE AND THE INADVERTENT STALL WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT STALL WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH. FACTORS WERE THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AND THE PILOT'S POOR APPROACH PLANNING.

THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S OPERATION AT TOO LOW AN ALTITUDE OVER THE RIVER AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE FROM THE POWER LINES. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE WIRES CROSSING THE RIVER AND THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S POOR JUDGEMENT IN CHOOSING TO OPERATE AT LOW ALTITUDES ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT.