Cessna Safety Record

THE CONTINUATION OF A VFR FLIGHT INTO NIGHT, INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND THE SPATIAL DISORIENTATION OF THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE OVERCONFIDENCE OF THE PILOT.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY PREFLIGHT AND PLAN FOR FLIGHT AND HIS INTENTIONAL FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE LOW CEILING CONDITIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER AIRSPEED WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH RESULTING IN AN AERODYNAMIC STALL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S DELAYED USE OF WING FLAPS.

THE PILOT'S POOR JUDGEMENT AND THE RESULTANT HYPOXIA SUSTAINED IN THE UNPRESSURIZED AIRPLANE. FACTORS WERE: THE MALFUNCTIONING PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM AND THE PILOT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE OPERATION WITH THAT KNOWN DISCREPANCY.

SPATIAL DISORIENTATION OF THE PILOT AS A RESULT OF INITIATING THE FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARK NIGHT, SNOW, AND LOW CEILINGS.

DELAYS BY BOTH PILOTS IN RELEASING THE GLIDER TOW LINE AFTER THE GLIDER PILOT ALLOWED THE GLIDER TO MANEUVER EXCESSIVELY ABOVE THE TOW AIRCRAFT. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE FACTORS.

THE PILOT'S LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL, DUE TO THE LOSS OF COCKPIT/INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON, THE INOPERATIVE PENLIGHT, AND SUBSEQUENT SPATIAL DISORIENTATION OF THE PILOT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

THE PILOT ALLOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO LIFT-OFF PREMATURLY AT A SLOW AIRSPEED AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL BEFORE INADVERTENTLY ENTERING A STALL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S EXPERIENCE LEVEL AND LACK OF QUALIFICATIONS.

THE PILOT'S LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AFTER ENCOUNTERING INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL WEATHER CONDITIONS (IMC) SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, HIS INTENTIONAL TAKEOFF INTO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE OPERATOR'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF CONTROLLING ACCESS TO THEIR AIRPLANES BY STUDENT PILOTS IN KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING, AND HIS LACK OF INSTRUMENT FLIGHT TIME.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO PROPERLY FOLLOW THE IFR (INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES) PROCEDURES BY NOT MAINTAINING THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE FOR THAT SEQMENT OF THE APPROACH. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WERE CONSIDERED TO BE RELATED FACTORS.

CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEORLOGICAL CONDITIONS WHICH RESULTED IN AN IN-FLIGHT COLLSION WITH TERRAIN. RELATED FACTORS WERE: FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO USE A PREFLIGHT BRIEFING SERVICE, HIS DECISION TO INITIATE FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER, THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S VISUAL PERCEPTION AT DUSK, AND THE RISING/MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

CONTINUED FLIGHT BY THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, AND HIS FAILURE TO UPDATE HIS WEATHER INFORMATION.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IFR PROCEDURE DURING AN ILS APPROACH IN BELOW MINIMUM CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PROCEED TO AN ALTERNATE DESTINATION. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S DISREGARD OF IFR PROCEDURES IN DESCENDING BELOW THE MINIMUM DECISION HEIGHT FOR THE APPROACH TO A POINT WHERE COLLISION WITH TOWERS AND/OR WIRES BECAME POSSIBLE. HIS ABRUPT MANEUVER TO AVOID SUCH COLLISION RESULTED IN A STALL/SPIN, FROM WHICH HE WAS UNABLE TO EFFECT A RECOVERY PRIOR TO IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN.

THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE THE DESTINATION AIRPORT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO AVOID THE TERRAIN IN THE AREA. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT' OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS PERSONAL ABILITY AND PRESSURE FROM HIS PASSENGER TO COMPLETE THE FLIGHT.