Piper PA-32R Safety Record

fuel starvation resulting from the failure of the pilot to select a tank containing fuel, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering for a forced landing which resulted in an inadvertent stall.

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

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN RECENT WEATHER INFORMATION TO AVOID FLIGHT INTO ICING CONDITIONS. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: MANAGEMENT-INDUCED PRESSURE AND THE ICING CONDITIONS.

the pilot's selection of an en route descent altitude profile inadequate to clear all terrain along his intended flight path, and, his inadvertent VFR flight into IMC conditions. Factors in the accident were the dark night lighting conditions and the obscured ridge line.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER GLIDEPATH WHILE ON A STRAIGHT IN APPROACH RESULTING IN THE INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH TREES SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE DARK NIGHT CONDITION.

WAS THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO PERFORM A VISUAL LOOKOUT AND MAINTAIN HIS ALTITUDE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE DARK NIGHT, OVER WATER, VISUAL DESCENT.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALIGNMENT WITH THE INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM APPROACH COURSE. THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PERFORM A MISSED APPROACH WAS A FACTOR.

SPATIAL DISORIENTATION EXPERIENCED BY THE PILOT, RESULTING IN HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL. FACTORS WERE THE TOTAL FAILURE OF THE ENGINE DRIVEN VACUUM PUMP, AND THE NIGHT, CLOUD CONDITIONS PREVAILING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

the instrument rated commercial pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from terrain/obstructions during the initial climb after takeoff. Related factors are the weather conditions (fog) and the pilot's failure to maintain the proper rate of climb.

THE PILOT'S VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTED, AND INADVERTENTLY EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S INTENTIONAL VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND HIS UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA. FACTORS WERE THE RAIN AND FOG.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER INFLIGHT DECISION TO CONTINUE FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN UPDATED WEATHER INFORMATION PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE ICING CONDITIONS, AND THE DEGRADED AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE DUE TO AIRFRAME ICE AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO RETRACT THE LANDING GEAR.

A PARTIAL LOSS OF TAKEOFF POWER DUE TO INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION WHICH FAILED TO DETECT MAGNETO AND SPARK PLUG DEFICIENCIES. IN ADDITION, THE PILOT FAILED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF AFTER TWO UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO GET AIRBORNE. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF PILOTING EXPERIENCE.

FUEL LINE FAILURE DUE TO VIBRATORY FATIGUE. FACTORS WERE IMPROPER MAINTENANCE, MANUFACTURER INFORMATION FOR FUEL LINE NOT AVAILABLE, AND THE PILOTS' FAILURE TO FOLLOW EMERGENCY PROCEDURES.

THE PILOT'S DISREGARD FOR WIND CONDITIONS, NOT ABORTING THE TAKEOFF, AND INADEQUATE REMEDIAL ACTION BY THE PILOT AFTER THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCIDENT ARE AN INADEQUATE WEATHER EVALUATION BY THE PILOT, NOT MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, AND AFTER LIFTOFF, ON THE PART OF THE PILOT. ADDITIONAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WERE SELF-INDUCED PRESSURE AND AN OVER-CONFIDENCE IN PERSONAL ABILITY ON BEHALF OF THE PILOT.

THE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER ONE CYLINDER FUEL INJECTOR LINE DUE TO FATIGUE CRACKING INDUCED BY CORROSION AND PROPAGATED BY CYCLIC LOADING WHICH RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE CORROSION WAS DUE TO THE MANUFACTURER'S PROCESS OF BRAZING THE METAL JOINT, AND THE CYCLIC LOADING WAS DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF A CLAMP TO MINIMIZE THE EFFECT OF VIBRATION. A CONTIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN DURING THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING.

THE PILOT ATTEMPTING A VFR FLIGHT IN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AT AN ALTITUDE THAT WAS INSUFFICIENT TO CLEAR TREES ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT RATING, AND HIS OVERCONFIDENCE TO FLY IN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.