Cessna Safety Record

INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT AND IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE STUDENT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION FROM AN INADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL, AND THE STUDENT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED, WHILE MANEUVERING, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE STUDENT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE.

AN INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH A POWER LINE WHILE MANEUVERING AT LOW ALTITUDE SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE ON A DARK NIGHT OVER AN AREA WITH FEW GROUND REFERENCE LIGHTS. THE REASONS FOR THE AIRCRAFT'S FLIGHT PATH AND ALTITUDE PROFILE ARE UNDETERMINED. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE APPARENT DISAGREEMENT WHICH OCCURRED BETWEEN THE TWO PILOTS DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT SEQUENCE.

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC), WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL DURING TAKEOFF. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE EXCESSIVE GROSS WEIGHT AND IMPROPER LIFT-OFF BY THE PIC, THE PILOT/PASSENGER'S IMPROPER CREW COORDINATION REGARDING THE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS THAT HE RECEIVED CONCERNING THE PAYLOAD LIMITATIONS, AND THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.

THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION, AND HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL OR MUSH. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE AIRCRAFT'S EXCESSIVE GROSS WEIGHT.

POOR JUDGEMENT OF THE PILOT, DUE TO IMPAIRMENT FROM CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE WHILE MANEUVERING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, THE PILOT'S RECENT USE OF DRUGS, AND HIS LACK OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.

IMPROPER INFLIGHT DECISION BY THE PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE. RISING TERRAIN, HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, AND TREES WERE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) AND FLIGHT IN KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION BY THE CFI, HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION, AND THE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE/SERVICING OF THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH RESULTED IN WATER AND RUST CONTAMINATION OF THE FUEL AND A SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN FLYING SPEED, WHILE MANEUVERING BACK TOWARD THE RUNWAY, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL.

FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED ABOVE STALL SPEED, AND A STALL/SPIN ENCOUNTERED WITH INADEQUATE ALTITUDE FOR RECOVERY. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THUNDERSTORM, PRE-FLIGHT BRIEFING NOT OBTAINED AND POOR WEATHER EVALUATION BY THE PILOT.

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, HIS VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, HIGH TERRAIN, THE PILOT'S OVER CONFIDENCE IN HIS PERSONAL ABILITY, AND HIS LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTED, AND HIS EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RECOVER FROM AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, CLOUD CONDITION, PILOT FATIGUE, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE. .

THE PILOT MISJUDGED HIS ALTITUDE, WHILE MANEUVERING AT LOW ALTITUDE OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, AND DIVERSION OF THE PILOT'S ATTENTION.

IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO SAFELY CLEAR THE MOUNTAINS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, BOX CANYON, AND HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER FLARE DURING THE WATER LANDING. THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN SEAPLANE OPERATIONS AND THE LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED WHILE FLYING OVER RISING TERRAIN, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL AND COLLISION WITH WOODED TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE TERRAIN CONDITIONS AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

THE INADVERTENT STALL OF THE AIRPLANE BY THE PILOT. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S DISREGARD OF THE WEATHER ADVISORY, THE UNFAVORABLE WINDSHIFT, AND THE THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOW.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ASSURE THAT THE FLAPS WERE IN THE UP POSITION DURING TAKEOFF. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH AIRCRAFT.

IMPROPER MAINTENANCE OF THE SPARK PLUGS BY THE PILOT/MECHANIC WHICH RESULTED IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO CLEAR TREES DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT STALL.