Cessna Safety Record

INADEQUATE REMEDIAL ACTION BY THE PILOT AFTER EXHAUSTING ALL THE FUEL FROM A SELECTED FUEL TANK. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCIDENT ARE THE PILOTS INADEQUATE TRANSITION AND UPGRADE TRAINING AND A LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE.

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO REQUEST RADAR ASSISTANCE TO AVOID LOW CEILINGS IN HIGH TERRAIN AND THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE VISUAL OUTLOOK WHICH ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN AN INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH HIGH TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE WEATHER CONDITIONS SPECIFICALLY LOW CLOUDS AND THE LIGHT CONDITIONS OF THE DARK NIGHT.

THE PILOT'S INTENTIONAL LOW PASS DURING WHICH HE PERFORMED AN AEROBATIC MANEUVER WITH INADEQUATE AIRSPEED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S LOW ALTITUDE AND THE TAILWIND CONDITION WHICH CREATED THE VISUAL PERCEPTION TO THE PILOT OF HAVING AN AIRSPEED HIGHER THAN THAT WHICH HE ACTUALLY HAD. ALSO, THE PILOT USED EXCEEDINGLY POOR JUDGMENT BY HIS PERFORMANCE OF THE AEROBATIC MANEUVER NEAR HOMES.

THE PILOT CONTINUING FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS WERE: THUNDERSTORM, UPDRAFTS AND THE PILOT'S DISREGARD OF THE WEATHER BRIEFING.

SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT ARE FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEF, VRF FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS AND LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE.

FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND INACCURATE FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO CHOOSE A PROPER EMERGENCY LANDING SITE AND/OR DEVIATE FROM A STRAIGHT COURSE DURING THE EMERGENCY DESCENT.

FAILURE OF THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP, THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ACTIVATE THE ELECTRIC AUXILIARY FUEL PUMP, POOR INFLIGHT DECISION, AND POOR EXECUTION OF EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT IS THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS MODEL AIRCRAFT.

BINDING OF THE #2 EXHAUST VALVE (STUCK VALVE), AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE FAILED EXHAUST MANIFOLD GASKET.

DETONATION (OR PRE-IGNITION) IN THE NUMBER 1 CYLINDER, WHICH RESULTED IN EROSION (BURNING) OF THE NUMBER 1 PISTON AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S IMPROPER HANDLING OF THE AIRPLANE AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED ON INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB RESULTING IN AN IN FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL, STALL/SPIN, AND SUBSEQUENT IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN.

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOTS OF BOTH AIRCRAFT, AND THE MITSUBISHI PILOT'S MISJUDGMENT OF HIS POSITION, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FLY FORMATION AT NIGHT WITH AN AIRCRAFT THAT DID NOT HAVE ALL NAVIGATION LIGHTS OPERATIVE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: BOTH PILOT'S LACK OF TRAINING IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION, DARKNESS, INOPERATIVE NAVITGATION (TAIL) LIGHT ON THE CESSNA 310, AND THE LACK OF VISUAL PERCEPTION THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE TO THE MITSUBISHI PILOT.

THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S INTENTIONAL FLIGHT WITH KNOWN MECHANICAL DEFICIENCIES IN THE AIRCRAFT WHICH RESULTED IN A FIRE & FORCED LANDING IN UNSUITABLE TERRAIN. A FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS IMPROPER MAINTENANCE TO THE TURBOCHARGER WASTE GATE BY OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN AT LOW ALTITUDE. HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION, HIS ATTEMPTED VFR FLIGHT INTO IFR CONDITIONS, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER ALTITUDE. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE FOGGY, LOW CEILING CONDITIONS ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE AFTER ENCOUNTERING ADVERSE WEATHER AT LOW ALTITUDE. THE ADVERSE WEATHER (FOG) WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO OPEN CIRCUITS IN THE IGNITION WIRING HARNESS, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN FLYING AIRSPEED DURING THE FORCED LANDING ATTEMPT. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE THE DARK NIGHT LIGHTING CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.