Cessna Safety Record

The loss of power to the right engine for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examination and teardown and the pilot’s failure to properly configure the airplane for single-engine flight.

The noninstrument-rated pilot's encounter with instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) while maneuvering, which resulted in a loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to attempt to descend into an area of widespread IMC.

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering at an excessive bank angle at a low altitude, which resulted in an accelerated stall and spin with insufficient altitude for a recovery.

The flight instructor’s decision to conduct a night training flight in mountainous terrain without conducting or allowing the student to conduct appropriate preflight planning and his lack of situational awareness of the surrounding terrain altitude, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines while flying at a low altitude.Contributing to the accident was the obscuration of the pilot’s visibility due to sun glare.

The pilot’s failure to recognize the airplane’s low altitude and arrest the airplane’s descent on approach to the airport in dark night conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s degraded night vision due to glaucoma and a cataract and his impairment from the use of diphenhydramine.

The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his failure to maintain clearance with trees and terrain.

A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at low altitude in turbulent conditions over mountainous terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper decision to traverse the mountainous area with the airplane over its maximum gross weight and with a forward center of gravity.

The pilot’s failure to ensure the airplane maintained adequate airspeed during the initial climb and the subsequent exceedance of its critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s impairment due to a sedating antihistamine, which led to his decision to possibly allow the passenger to attempt the takeoff, and his delayed remedial action to lower the nose when the airplane began to pitch up too much.

The misfueling of the airplane with jet fuel instead of the required aviation fuel, and the resultant detonation and a total loss of engine power during initial climb. Contributing to the accident were the line service technician's inadvertent misfueling of the airplane, the pilot's inadequate supervision of the fuel servicing, and the fixed-base operator's use of a small fuel nozzle on its jet fuel truck.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while returning to the airport immediately after takeoff, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and entering an aerodynamic stall during the turn. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in the airplane being over maximum gross weight and its subsequent decrease in takeoff climb performance.