Cessna Safety Record

THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN AN AIRSPEED ABOVE THE AIRCRAFT'S STALL SPEED AS HE TURNED AWAY FROM ASCENDING TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT'S INADEQUATE PERFORMANCE RESULTING FROM IMPROPER GRADE OF FUEL AND HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN HIGH ALTITUDE OPERATIONS WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.

THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AFTER THE PILOT BECAME SPATIALLY DISORIENTED. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE VACUUM SYSTEM WHICH RENDERED THE VACUUM/GYRO INSTRUMENTS INOPERATIVE. ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THIS FAILURE WAS THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE VACUUM PUMP BY UNKNOWN PERSON(S).

THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED WHILE MANEUVERING, WHICH LED TO AN INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S APPARENT DESIRE TO SHOW OFF, AND THE LOW ALTITUDE AT WHICH HE CHOSE TO PERFORM THE MANEUVER.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN ADEQUATE TAKEOFF AIRSPEED AS A RESULT OF AN IMPROPER FLAP SETTING. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE A TAKEOFF WITH A TAILWIND, AN UPSLOPING RUNWAY, AND HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.

THE PILOT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT INTO IFR CONDITIONS AND THE FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ALITTUDE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S OVER CONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITY AND THE LACK OF INSTRUMENT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.

THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL, DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO OBTAIN (AND/OR UNDERSTAND) WIND ALOFT INFORMATION, HIS LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE TYPE OF OPERATION (MOUNTAIN FLYING), A DOWNDRAFT, AND THE TERRAIN CONDITIONS.

POOR JUDGEMENT OF THE STUDENT PILOT BY NOT FOLLOWING HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S DIRECTIONS ON HIS FIRST SUPERVISED SOLO FLIGHT AND BY NOT MAINTAINING A SAFE ALTITUDE, WHICH RESULTED IN A COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN. RELATED FACTORS WERE: UNAUTHORIZED LOW FLIGHT BY THE STUDENT AND HIS STEEP TURN (MANEUVER) AT LOW ALTITUDE.

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND, AND FAILURE OF THE AIRCREW TO MAINTAIN RUNWAY ALIGNMENT AND CLEARANCE FROM THE HIGH OBSTRUCTIONS (TREES) BESIDE THE RUNWAY. RELATED FACTORS WERE: WEATHER CONDITIONS, DARK NIGHT, LACK OF RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS, LACK OF VISUAL PERCEPTION BY THE PILOT(S), AND TREES BESIDE THE RUNWAY.

CONTINUED FLIGHT BY THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION BY THE PILOT, AND THE WEATHER AND LIGHT CONDITIONS AT EARLY DAWN WERE FACTORS.

IMPAIRMENT OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) DUE TO DRUGS/MEDICATION, CHEMOTHERAPY AND FATIGUE; FAILURE OF THE PIC TO ASSURE THAT THE IFR (INSTRUMENT) APCH PROCEDURE WAS FOLLOWED; AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE (MDA). INADEQUATE SURVEILLANCE OF THE OPERATION BY COMPANY/OPERATOR/MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

THE PILOT'S DECISION TO ENTER INTO IMC WHILE FLYING UNDER VFR. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO ACCIDENT WERE: LOW CEILINGS, POOR PLANNING AND DECISIONS, FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT BRIEFING AND NOT PERFORMING A WEATHER EVALUATION.

IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING AND DECISION BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND WHO CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FLY THROUGH A MOUNTAIN PASS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE LOW CEILING AND RAIN WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE MOUNTAINOUS, HILLY TERRAIN IN THE PASS.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ATTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE BEFORE FLYING OVER MOUNTAINOUS/HILLY TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARK NIGHT, RISING/MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, AND PROBABLE IMPAIRMENT FROM A PRESCRIPTION DRUG.

THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S DISREGARD OF THE WEATHER INFORMATION PROVIDED DURING TWO BRIEFINGS AND HIS DECISION TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDTIONS. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S LACK OF NIGHT AND INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE/CLEARANCE OVER THE TERRAIN. RELATED FACTORS WERE: DARK NIGHT, SPATIAL DISORIENTATION OF THE PILOT, AND HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION (NIGHT FLYING).

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER HANDLING OF THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO THE LACK OF RECURRENT TRAINING AND RECENT EXPERIENCE WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF AIRSPEED AND A RESULTANT STALL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S OVER-CONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITY TO ATTEMPT FLIGHT WITHOUT FURTHER DUAL INSTRUCTION.