Cessna Safety Record

IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN A SUDDEN ALTITUDE DEVIATION, AND HIS DELAY IN INITIATING REMEDIAL ACTION TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM THE TREES. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE DOWNDRAFTS, HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, THE PILOT DIVERTING ATTENTION, AND THE TREES.

THE PILOT'S POOR PREFLIGHT ASSESSMENT OF THE RUNWAY CONDITION/AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES, AND THE AIRCRAFT'S RESULTANT FAILURE TO ATTAIN FLYING SPEED. SOFT TERRAIN IS A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO SELECT A SUITABLE LANDING AREA. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: ROUGH WATER CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRCRAFT.

INADEQUATE IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND, THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT. FACTORS WERE THE PRIVATE PILOT DID NOT SWITCH THE FUEL TANKS AND THE INSTRUCTOR DID NOT CATCH IT.

POOR JUDGEMENT OF THE PILOT BY FLYING WHILE PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED FROM CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL; AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHILE MANEUVERING, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL AND COLLISION WITH WOODED/HILLY TERRAIN.

INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS BY THE PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE SPEED FOR THE WIND CONDITIONS, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL ON FINAL APPROACH. HIS EXCESSIVE USE OF FLAPS AND THE WIND CONDITIONS WERE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO CONTINUE FLYING THE AIRPLANE WHEN HE NOTED A VIBRATION OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE IMPROPER SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN TO EXECUTE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING WHEN AN AIRPORT AND A HIGHWAY MEDIAN WERE AVAILABLE.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN AN APPROPRIATE WEATHER BRIEFING IN PREPARATION FOR THE CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AN ALTITUDE SUFFICIENT TO CLEAR THE TERRAIN ALONG THE INDENDED ROUTE AFTER ENTERING REDUCED VISIBILITY CONDITIONS.

IMPROPER PREFLIGHT BY THE STUDENT PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO AN INADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: SOFT TERRAIN.

THE IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISIONS BY THE PLT WHEN HE DECIDED TO INTENTIONALLY FLY LOW OVER ROUGH WATER IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND THE PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT GROUND SWERVE.CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE CFI, WHO AUTHORIZED THE 2ND SOLO FLIGHT IN UNFAVORABLE WIND CONDITIONS, THE CROSSWIND, THE STUDENT PILOT'S IMPROPER FLARE AND RECOVERY FROM A BOUNCED LANDING, THE RAVINE (DITCH), AND THE TREES.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL AND LOSS OF CONTROL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, WHICH WERE BELOW MINIMUMS, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO PERFORM A MISSED APPROACH.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPERLY PLANNED APPROACH, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM THE WIND SOCK POLE. THE PROXIMITY OF THE WIND SOCK (ARPT FACILITY) WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A RELATED FACTOR.

THE PILOT DELAYED FLIGHT TO AN ALTERNATE DESTINATION, CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), EXPERIENCED SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, AND LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION, HIS LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, DARK NIGHT, AND WEATHER CONDITIONS.

THE PASSENGER FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE FROM THE PROPELLER AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO BOARD THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH THE PILOT FAILURE TO SUPERVISE THE BOARDING OF THE PASSENGER AND THE NIGHT LIGHT CONDITIONS ARE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT.

THE PILOT FAILED TO COMPENSATE FOR THE EXISTING WIND CONDITIONS AND MAINTAIN PROPER ALIGNMENT WITH THE RUNWAY. THE WIND CONDITIONS AND THE SUNGLARE ARE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT.