Cessna 172 Safety Record

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM THE TELEPHONE POLE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, THE PILOT'S DISORIENTATION, LACK OF VISUAL PERCEPTION AT NIGHT, THE TELEPHONE (UTILITY) POLE, AND THE DITCH.

THE PILOT'S POOR PREFLIGHT PREPARATION WHEN HE FAILED TO RECHECK WEATHER CONDITIONS AFTER HE DELAYED TAKEOFF BECAUSE OF THUNDERSTROMS. ALSO, THE PILOT'S POOR INFLIGHT DECISION TO LAND OFF-AIRPORT RATHER THAN RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT.

FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE LANDING, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT GROUND SWERVE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: IMPROPER FLARE BY THE STUDENT DURING THE LANDING, WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING, AND THE SOFT/WET (SWAMPY) TERRAIN CONDITIONS.

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE ALTITUDE TO ENSURE OBSTRUCTION CLEARANCE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, LOW CEILING, FOG, AND THE PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

THE PILOT'S DELAY IN ABORTING THE LANDING, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM THE POWER LINES. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF THE WRONG RUNWAY, THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT DURING THE LANDING, AND THE LOCATION OF THE POWER LINES.

THE PILOT DELAYED IN ABORTING THE LANDING AND FAILED OBTAIN OR MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT FROM MUSHING AFTER LIFT-OFF. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: OBSTRUCTIONS NEAR THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY, FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT, AND THE TREE AND FENCE NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY.

CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

STUDENT PILOT'S CONTINUING AN APPROACH TO LANDING BEYOND THE POINT WHERE SHE COULD BRING THE AIRCRAFT TO A CONTROLLED STOP ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY SURFACE.

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO PROPERLY COMPENSATE FOR THE GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS DURING TAKEOFF AND THE DELAY IN HIS DECISION TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF BEFORE COLLIDING WITH TREES. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE AND PROFICIENCY.

THE PILOTS MISJUDGEMENT OF LANDING DISTANCE WHICH RESULTED IN THE FAILURE TO TOUCHDOWN AT A PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT. THE PILOT ALSO FAILED TO PERFORM A GO-AROUND.

THE IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT WHEN HE ALLOWED THE PRIVATE PILOT STUDENT TO LAND LONG. ADDITIONALLY, THE INSTRUCTOR DELAYED REMEDIAL ACTION UNTIL THE RUNWAY OVERRUN WAS INEVITABLE.

INADEQUATE SERVICING OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE PILOT, PARTIAL BLOCKAGE OF THE FUEL LINE AND FUEL FILTER, AND FUEL STARVATION. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE DOWNWARD SLOPING RUNWAY AND A FENCE.

INTERMITTANT GROUNDING OF AN ELECTRICAL WIRE TO THE NOSE LANDING GEAR. THE CHAFED WIRE RESULTED IN THE OPENING OF THE LANDING GEAR MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER PREVENTING FULL EXTENSION OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR. A SECONDARY FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE WARNING SWITCH PRECLUDED A VISUAL OR AURAL WARNING OF THE UNSAFE GEAR POSITION.

IMPROPER USE OF THE ELEVATOR FLIGHT CONTROL BY THE PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER RATE OF CLIMB AFTER LIFT-OFF. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: IMPROPER USE OF ELEVATOR TRIM BY THE PILOT, HIS LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE, AND AN INADVERTENT PORPOISE.

THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE GUSTY/CROSSWIND CONDITION.

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN FLYING SPEED AND PROPER FLYING ATTITUDE RESULTING IN A STALL MUSH. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE DENSITY ALTITUDE AND THE VARIABLE WINDS.

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.