Cessna 172 Safety Record

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING LANDING WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE DEPARTING THE RUNWAY AND NOSING OVER. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE CROSSWIND AND THE SOFT TERRAIN ENCOUNTERED BY THE AIRPLANE.

THE PILOT'S DECISION TO INITIATE VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING, THE ADVERSE WEATHER, AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT, AND HIS IMPROPER RECOVERY FROM A BOUNCED LANDING. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ABORT THE LANDING WHICH RESULTED IN A OVERRUN OF THE RUNWAY. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE PILOT'S MISJUDGEMENT OF DISTANCE AND AN IMPROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT.

THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO A MOUNTAINOUS AREA WHERE HE LOST VISUAL REFERENCE TO ILLUMINATED GROUND FEATURES WHICH RESULTED IN HIS BECOMING DISORIENTED. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE DARK SKY AND LOW CLOUD CONDITIONS; 2) THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A COMPLETE WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO TAKE OFF; 3) HIS IMPROPER WEATHER EVALUATION; 4) HIS INEXPERIENCE FLYING AT NIGHT; AND 5) THE USAF'S CLEARING AUTHORITY PERSONNEL'S FAILURE TO ADHERE TO ESTABLISHED WRITTEN PROCEDURES WHICH BARRED INEXPERIENCED PILOTS FROM BEING DISPATCHED WITH THE INTENT OF PERFORMING NIGHTTIME CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHTS.

THE STUDENT PILOT'S FAILURE TO PLAN A REFUELING STOP FOR THE FLIGHT WHICH RESULTED IN THE COMPLETE EXHAUSTION OF THE FUEL SUPPLY AND A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.

POWER LOSS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION AND THE PILOTS IMPROPER SELECTION OF THE OFF POSITION ON THE FUEL SELECTOR. A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS AND HIS FAILURE TO PERFORM THE PRESCRIBED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOLLOWING THE FUEL STARVATION INDUCED ENGINE FAILURE. A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE EMERGENCY LANDING.

THE PILOT'S DECISION TO CRUISE AT AN ALTITUDE INADEQUATE TO ENSURE TERRAIN CLEARANCE. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING, THE DARK NIGHT, AND LIKELY INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS.

THE PILOT FAILED TO EVALUATE THE WIND CONDITIONS AND TOOK OFF WITH A TAILWIND WHICH RESULTED IN THE COLLISION WITH A TREE ON THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. FACTORS WERE DARK NIGHT AND TAILWIND.

THE PILOT'S INTENTIONAL FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AS A RESULT OF HIS ALCOHOLIC AND DRUG IMPAIRMENT OF EFFICIENCY AND JUDGEMENT. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN WEATHER INFORMATION, THE DARK NIGHT AND EXISTING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT ON LANDING. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING PREPARATION AND SELECTION OF THE WRONG RUNWAY RELATIVE TO THE WIND.

THE PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO A STUCK EXHAUST VALVE ON THE NUMBER TWO CYLINDER AND THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO CLIMB THE AIRCRAFT ABOVE THE TREES SURROUNDING THE AIRPORT. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE EFFECTS OF THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE ON THE AIRCRAFT CLIMB PERFORMANCE.