Cessna 182 Safety Record

AN INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT, WHICH ALLOWED WATER CONTAMINATION IN THE FUEL AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER; AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL.

THE PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND IMPROPER REMEDIAL ACTION BY DESCENDING INTO HIGH TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WERE THE PREVAILING CLOUD CONDITION.

INADVERTENT 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, SELF-INDUCED PRESSURE ON THE PILOT TO MAKE THE FLIGHT, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPEREINCE.

THAT THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND USED POOR JUDGMENT BY FLYING AT AN UNWARRANTED LOW ALTITUDE AND MISJUDGED THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TREE TOPS AND THE AIRPLANE.

THE PILOT'S DESCENT BELOW DECISION HEIGHT, AND HIS ALCOHOLIC IMPAIRMENT OF EFFICIENCY AND JUDGEMENT. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE DARK NIGHT LIGHT CONDITIONS.

POOR INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION. FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: ICING CONDITIONS, DARK NIGHT, FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER AND AN INADEQUATE WEATHER EVALUATION.

THE PILOT BECAME SPATIALLY DISORIENTED AND LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AS HE TURNED AWAY FROM GROUND LIGHTS TOWARD UNLIGHTED TERRAIN. THE CLOUDS, FOG, AND DARK NIGHT CONDITION WERE FACTORS.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT, WHICH RESULTED IN THE FORMATION OF CARBURETOR ICE AND A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING IN TREES.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. FACTORS WERE THE DARK NIGHT, PILOT'S APPREHENSION, PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, POOR INSTRUMENT LOCATION, VISUAL PERCEPTION AND INADEQUATE COCKPIT LIGHTING.

THE IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN IN THE AREA, AND THE LOW CEILINGS AND CLOUDS OBSCURING THE MOUNTAINS.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION FOR THE FLIGHT AND HIS SUBSEQUENT FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. A FACTOR WAS: HEAVY FOG AND LOW CEILING.

IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE NON-RATED PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE PILOT'S LACK OF QUALIFICATION.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURES DURING A GO-AROUND MANEUVER, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE FLAPS, HIS IMPROPER USE OF THE PROPELLER CONTROL, AND IMPROPER WEIGHT AND BALANCE OF THE AIRCRAFT.

THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL IN FLIGHT DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OPERATE UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES WHILE IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

POOR JUDGEMENT BY THE PILOT TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS IFR CONDITIONS THAT INCLUDED LOW CEILINGS AND LOW VISIBILITY AND INSUFFICIENT INSTRUMENT TRAINING OF THE PILOT TO DEAL WITH THE IFR CONDITIONS.

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT'S INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS. THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE, HIS DISREGARD TO THE PREFLIGHT METEOROLOGICAL BRIEFING HE RECEIVED, LOW CEILINGS, FOG, AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN OVER WHICH THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.